A BLISTERING 93 from skipper Mitch Bower wasn’t enough to save his team from elimination from the McDonalds Cup on Sunday.
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Bower blasted the Bathurst bowling attack but received little in the way of support as his team crumbled to be all out for 171 in reply to Bathurst’s total of 260.
On a day where cricket almost paled into the background, both Bower and his Bathurst counterpart Jameel Qureshi sent their regards to Dubbo batsman Jordan Moran, who left the ground to attend to a family matter in the first innings before bravely returning to the ground.
He got a duck, but it mattered for little as both Bower and Qureshi praised him.
“It’s about more than cricket,” Qureshi said.
“We play hard and we play to win but when it comes to family matters you do the right thing. I wish him and his family well.”
Bower echoed those sentiments.
“I couldn’t believe it when he said he was coming back. It was a massive effort from him but unfortunately we couldn’t get the win for him and the family.”
On the field, Bathurst simply played the better cricket despite the fact that for an two hours Bower threatened to take the match away from them.
Batting first, the visitors made 7-270 thanks to half-centuries from Qureshi (56) and Ryan Peacock (75).
James O’Brien (5-32) was the pick of the Dubbo bowling cartel, who had to do without leg-spinner Marty Jeffrey due to a groin injury he sustained during the game.
After Moran came and went, Bower and Chris Russo (20) put on a 68-run stand which was ended when Russo was bowled.
Bower was joined at the crease by Greg Buckley and they took the score to 2-104 at the first drinks break.
But Buckley’s demise for 13 signalled the beginning of the end as Dubbo lost 8-56 to be all out for 171.
Bower’s innings of 93 included eight sixes.
Peacock starred with the ball for Bathurst, his 5-43 capping off a man-of-the-match effort.
“It’s disappointing obviously but we just weren’t good enough in the end,” Bower said.
“We dropped some catches in the field and probably let them get 40 more than they should have.
“In the end that probably didn’t matter because we didn’t get 220 anyway.
“I think a few blokes played across the line and just didn’t get themselves in. We were bowled out with 12 overs to go so we had time and the run-rate wasn’t an issue.”
Qureshi praised his side’s resilience, admitting it would have been easy for them to get disheartened when Bower was teeing off.
“I just said that when the chance came from him we had to take it,” Qureshi said.
“We did that and it proved vital. In saying that Mitch batted unbelievably well.
“We’ve got a real good vibe in the team at the moment, we’ve played a lot of cricket together now and to win this game and progress in this comp is a real boost for us.”