NOORAT captain Gus Bourke is looking forward to seeing how his charges handle the one-day format after a “mixed bag” during the first six rounds of Twenty20s.
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The Steamrollers closed out the initial three-week T20 period with a 3-3 record, which was reflected with Saturday’s win over Pomborneit and loss to Cobden.
“It was kind of a mixed bag because we beat ‘Pombo’ and Terang, which are pretty good sides, and Bookaar,” Bourke said. “But then we lost to newcomer Camperdown and Cobden, who we beat last year.”
Bourke believes the longer format would suit his side, whom he said will benefit from more time at the crease and the chance to focus on line-and-length bowling, rather than the more attacking style seen in T20.
On Saturday, Noorat’s bowlers restricted the Bulls to 8-95, which they were comfortably able to chase down with six wickets in hand, led by Bernie Harris and Ben Kenna.
But the batting momentum Bourke hoped they would carry in to the second game against Cobden didn’t eventuate, with the side bowled out for 90, which Cobden chased down with four wickets to spare.
“We fell in a bit of a hole,” Bourke said. “We were three or four for 30. Patty Heffernan and some others got runs that got us to 90, but we knew (it wouldn’t be enough).”
Mortlake kept its perfect start to the season alive with wins over Terang and Pomborneit.
The Cats held on for a narrow two-run win over Terang in the morning, posting 79 runs after Jesse Unthank snared a remarkable 5-16
But three run-outs as Terang scrambled for runs late in the chase saw the Cats survive.
It was a more comfortable 26-run win for Mortlake in the afternoon, posting 5-125, led by a knock of 49 from Clinton Baker, before restricting Pomborneit to 9-99.
Kyle McDonald claimed 4-14.
Meanwhile, Heytesbury Rebels finished with a pair of wins over Bookaar and Camperdown, Cobden also defeated the Lakers for a double and Terang got on the board with a win over Bookaar.