Geraldton Bendigo Bank Cricket League round 12: Sportsmans out to reclaim winning edge after upset loss to CVN

Sportsmans will be keen to shake off a disappointing loss last weekend, but it won’t be easy as they face a charging Wanderers on Saturday in the Geraldton Bendigo Bank Cricket League. Last weekend, Chapman Valley-Northampton ended Sporties’ nine-game winning streak, meaning they will be looking to get back on their feet against the only other side who has beaten them this season. The two sides will meet at Wonthella, and a win to Wanderers will give them the upper hand in the battle for second. Sporties’ Clint Yeates and Dan Welsh have shone, while Jarrod Jupp and Ben O’Brien are good options with bat and ball. Heath Lintern is also a handy support bowler and while Flynn Dillon makes quick runs, as seen with his 49-not out last weekend. Wanderers are on double duty this weekend, along with Bluff Point this weekend, who they play in Friday night’s Young Motors T20 at Wonthella. In the T20, Wanderers will be hard to beat, and a win will give them hope of playing Sportsmans in the final. Their key is Zane Marwick. His unbeaten 80 last week was his 13th plus 50 score in 39 A-grade innings, a conversion rate few in the league’s 63 seasons match. His bowling is also valuable, especially in a T20. He doesn’t always get wickets but rarely bleeds runs. Mitch Thompson is coming off a career best 5-23 and Shayne Bidwell and Damien King are fine all-rounders. It will also be interesting to see if they recall Ashlyn Thompson, who took 3-14 in their previous T20. Bluff Point also take on Towns, who need a win after three successive losses, in a 50-over game at Muir Park on Saturday, The Pointers’ batting is iffy but Seb Bainbridge, Cody Doran and Theo Curtis are capable while Jayden Pinto is due. Bowling wise, James Morrison and Antonio Paradella have 15 and 12 wickets respectively while Doran is useful and Mitch McAuliffe can trouble most. Towns have had to use B-graders of late, in part to cover for a shoulder injury to Callum Marquis. Josh DeLacy also has an injury but did bowl last week. They have good batters in Sam Crouch, Ryan Thomas, Austin Breen and Kodi Giltrow. Tom Witt has come a long way with his spinners and hopefully paceman Tom Forsyth is available. * In Sunday’s Women’s Young Motors T20s, Wanderers play CVN, at hopefully a much cooler Mazzuchelli Oval on Sunday. For Wanderers, Chelsea Bidwell and Meg Spalding need one and two wickets respectively for 25 wickets, while CVN’s Kiara Hutchinson and Alexia Wekwerth are both three wickets shy of 25. Also on Sunday, Sporties face Towns at Wonthella. For Sporties, Belinda Burrows is 91 runs short of 1000 while Shyanne Thomas-Mirrielees will aim to add to her 310 runs and 13 wickets. Towns’ batting has limited options but Indiana Burns, Isabelle MacPherson and Ruth Vorster have 17, 13 and nine wickets respectively.