Souths have strengthened their grip on second place in the Whitney Cup competition with a hard-fought three-wicket win against Rugby on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The pitch at No. 2 Oval proved tricky for batsmen and made it a low scoring game with Rugby all out for 88 and Souths having a few problems of their own before reaching the target.
Adam Wells produced a good all-round performance for Souths, taking four wickets and then making an unbeaten 28 to help get his team across the line.
Rugby welcomed back Jordan Moran from a successful stint with NSW Country but the skipper had little to smile about. He tried to lift his team, scoring 29 runs to easily top-score as they struggled to come to grips with the pitch.
Souths then had a few scares as they attempted to chase the total down but Wells was able to get his team over the line in the 33rd over.
“We’re happy to get away with the win. It was a tough one, obviously the pitch was doing a bit in both innings but winning the toss and bowling definitely helped,” Souths skipper Mitch Bower said.
“We were pretty confident we could chase down 88 but we knew it wouldn’t be easy because the pitch was still doing a bit.”
Bower said it was an easy decision to send Rugby in after winning the toss, despite normally preferring to bat first.
Rugby lost Ben Wheeler for a duck on the second ball of the innings but Moran and Chris Russo then put together a 47-run partnership.
Wells brought it to an end when he bowled Moran and from there Rugby found it hard to form any real partnerships.
Russo fell for 11, Wells bowled James O’Brien, also for 11, and nobody else was able to reach double figures. Sundries contributed 12 runs.
Wells finished with 4/12 off 10 overs, including seven maidens, and he was well assisted by Will Lindsay, who took 3/18 off 7.2.
Souths were missing regulars Scott Tucker, Henry Railz, Mark O’Donnell, Justin Knudsen and Jack Busch but Bower was pleased with how others stepped up.
“Adam Wells hasn’t bowled much in the last season and a half so it was nice to see him do well and it’s a good time in the season for him to do that,” Bower said.
Souths had a two-point lead over third-placed CYMS coming into the weekend and that buffer has now extended with four rounds remaining, however competition leaders RSL-Colts look out of reach.
“Colts are up there in first place and haven’t lost a game yet but it is important for us that we try to secure second place,” Bower said. “If make the finals, we think we are good enough to beat anyone, including Colts.”