In a game which was dominated by the batters, Mount Beauty have failed to defend their healthy total against Dederang, who completed the victory with just two wickets to spare last Saturday. It was a tough day for the bowlers, with deliveries from both sides regularly dispatched to and over the boundary at Dederang, as a combined total of 467 runs were scored. Batting first after being sent in, the Power recovered after the loss of the early Frank Iaria wicket - captain Greg McLennan (73 runs from 57 balls) and ‘keeper Brad Mitchell (64 from 83) set up the innings with a mixture of elegant and powerful shots that kept the Demons fielders on their toes. In a knock which included 10 fours and three towering sixes, McLennan innocuously spooned a return catch to opposition skipper Tristan Mann just before drinks, which invited Dederang back into the game. Mitchell combined with the Power’s middle order in the second half of the innings to reach a more than competitive 7/232 at the conclusion of their 40 overs. Ethan Brown (1/47) got his team off to the best possible start with a wicket from his first legal delivery, and a second fell inside six overs thanks to a Shannon Carter dismissal (1/53) which found a faint edge. Between wickets, Mount Beauty struggled to curtail the scoring rate and along with 19 extra runs and balls thanks to extras, Dederang had the upper hand for much of the chase. A late charge came from Nick Iaria (3/15) and Mark Flay (2/26), who struck with three wickets in ten balls to give the Power a sniff of victory, but Dylan Nowak (47 not out) steered the Demons to a memorable win. Greg McLennan remained positive after his team’s close defeat. “It was great to see Brad Mitchell spend some good time in the middle,” McLennan said. “He looked increasingly comfortable the longer he was out there and made a great half-century in good time, which gave us a good springboard for our middle order to push the scoring rate along and we ended up on 232 at nearly six an over. “The running between wickets was a highlight all innings and we stole probably 30 runs or more that way. “We started off well with a couple of early wickets and several edges that evaded fielders but for much of our bowling effort we interspersed hittable deliveries within otherwise good overs, so we were unable to slow their scoring. “Lincoln Wilson toiled manfully after turning his ankle early in the field and then we had a late charge, which very nearly pinched the game. “As always, there are things to think about and work on before our next game.” The Cricket Albury Wodonga District competition pauses for its mid-season break until 10 January, which will see Mount Beauty host Kiewa.
