THE return of young gun Toby Derrick and a fast-paced half-century from all-rounder Steve Pask were not enough for Mount Beauty to register two wins in a row against a clinical Bethanga last Saturday.

Overnight rain and ground conditions delayed the first ball at Bethanga Recreation Reserve and teams had to settle for a 28-over sprint to the finish.

Despite Mount Beauty electing to bowl first under overcast skies and conditions seemingly going to favour the bowling team, it was Bethanga who hit the ground running.

This season’s highest-scoring batters, Jack Robinson and Luke Rafferty, both made fast-paced half-centuries and raced to 91 before the opening wicket was taken by experienced swing bowler Craig Henderson.

Bethanga’s first innings score of 4/204 at a rate of more than seven runs per over turned out to be a match-winning total, as Mount Beauty could only reach 8/130 in reply.

Captain Greg McLennan (15), Derrick (nine) and Todd Jeanes (four) all fell trying to score quickly within the first eight overs.

Pask (52 off 42 balls) struck eight boundaries and a six, and did his best to match the required run rate, but only playing coach Emerson Lemkau (19) offered any meaningful support at the crease during the middle overs with a 63-run partnership between the two.

McLennan was impressed by the quality and depth of Bethanga’s squad.

“Bethanga are now a very strong side, probably premiership favourites in my opinion,” McLennan said.

“We were unable to restrict them and chasing over 200 in 28 overs was always going to be difficult.

“Pasky showed his class though with a half century at better than a run a ball before he was unluckily run out and he could have easily gone on to make 80 plus.

“We eased Toby (Derrick) back to the bowling crease as well and he was the fastest of our bowlers despite only going at 70 per cent, so we are looking forward to seeing him get back into his work in coming weeks.”

With only two rounds to play in Cricket Albury Wodonga’s district first grade competition, the ladder makes for interesting reading.

The top three teams – Kiewa, Yackandandah and Bethanga – had sealed a home final from a long way out and look to be a step or two ahead of the chasing pack.

Dederang, Mount Beauty and Eskdale are in pursuit of the valuable fourth position now that Barnawartha-Chiltern are officially out of finals contention.

The Power will make the trek to Eskdale this Saturday in their penultimate regular season game.

“With this loss, getting back to fourth spot is out of our hands but we can keep fifth if we defeat Eskdale this week,” McLennan added.

“We had a strong win against them early in the season so we will look to bat assertively and then back our bowlers to bring it home.”

Mount Beauty’s second grade side chased down their target for a second consecutive week to claim fourth spot with a fortnight remaining.

David Hunt (4/17), Graeme Potts (3/33) and Shannon Carter (2/27) helped restrict Bethanga to 160.

Returning from injury, Jack Nieuwerth top-scored with 67 and Ethan Brown smashed a quick-fire 33, before Carter (47*) guided his side to victory with six wickets and seven and a half overs to spare.