GSCA 2025-26: Drew and Cristinelli fire Tambellup to commanding win, Katanning Wanderers claim derby honours

Tambellup kept the pressure on ladder leaders Broomehill with an impressive eight-wicket win on the road in round nine of the Great Southern Shield competition on Saturday. In the 2025-26 Great Southern Cricket Association season, Tambellup have only lost once in the one-day format and they easily accounted for Kendenup to stay in touch with the reigning premiers Broomehill. Jayden Drew was the star with the ball for the visitors and that was followed by another classy batting display from Flynn Cristinelli as Tambellup chased down 182 to win. Kendenup made a steady start and were 3-83 when the red-hot Seb Ballard was undone by Jedd Herbert after he’d belted five sixes in his swashbuckling 59. However, Tambellup swung things back in their favour as Drew ripped through the middle order, the hosts falling to 6-114. Skipper Clinton Gilbert tried to steady the ship as he and Beau Sobey put on 35 runs, but the Kendenup tail fell under pressure. Gilbert virtually did all of the scoring in the closing stages of the innings but Matt Hankinson snared the final three wickets to dismiss the home side for 181 in the 37th over. It would have been a far more miserable score if not for Gilbert’s unbeaten 65 and a solid 20 from Jared Ballard to go with Seb Ballard’s opening entertainment. Drew finished with 4-28 from eight overs while Hankinson snared 3-10 off 5.3 overs. A century stand from the Tambellup openers set up their fourth one-day win of the season as they saw off the openers Jared Ballard and Jakeb Douglas. Nathan Willmott was the first wicket to fall, ending the 111-run opening stand when he was out for 50 off the bowling of Gilbert. Ben Taylor had a reason to feel unlucky, missing out in the runs after Seb Ballard dismissed him for a second-ball duck. However, Cristinelli and then Connor Hawkins guided Tambellup to victory in the 31st over. After creaming seven boundaries, Cristinelli finished with 94 not out from as many balls to follow on from his superb 74 against the Bandicoots in a T20 last weekend. Hawkins chipped in with 25 not out. Only Gilbert (1-30) and Seb Ballard (1-38) had success with the ball. In the Katanning derby played at the top oval, Katanning Wanderers emerged with their first one-day win of the season. Australs North were skittled for 115 batting first, as Phillip Pink (23) and Brendan Brookfield (18) got starts but couldn’t go on. Tigers captain Ryan Sinclair bowled well, returning 3-24 from nine overs, while Tyron Pinney and Emily Pinney also picked up multiple wickets. Yaqzhan Benson was run out cheaply and Sinclair hit 41 from 57 balls before he was bowled but the Tigers had the game in control. Adam Edwards (20no) and Steve Irvine (28no) helped the Tigers cruise to an eight-wicket win inside 25 overs. In the other fixture the Bandicoots were challenged by Kojonup, the game going down to the final couple of overs. The Cougars batted first at home with Jamie Young’s half-century setting up a total of 165. Young was out for 53 from 127 balls while Lachy O’Shea made 33. Jack Batchelor snared 3-19 from nine overs and Mac Crichton (2-30) picked up the prized wicket of Cougars big-hitter Liam Want for just 16. The chase of 166 proved a difficult one, though, the Cougars bowling well in partnerships. Batchelor and Englishman Max Jordison put on 61 runs at the top but the Bandicoots were quickly reduced to 4-117 and then 6-158 when O’Shea removed Rohan Bignall. Travis Abbott then had Bryce Hinchcliffe caught for two by Liam Want as the Bandicoots faced some nervy moments at 7-161 with the overs quickly running out. Ben Holmes was the decisive player at the end, carving out 21 from 32 balls, including two sixes, as Lomas Ugle made two at the other end to hand the Bandicoots a three-wicket win. Mitchell Blakers toiled hard with 3-26 for the Cougars but their opponents reached the target in 43.1 overs to make it five straight one-day wins. There will be another round of one-day games this Saturday before two rounds of T20s to close out the year heading into the Christmas and New Year break.