Finley's Harry Wilkinson facing Riyaad Henry.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
With a margin of just 0.7 of a point between it and Katamatite, a resurgent Barooga has never been closer to booking a finals berth.
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Its chance to close that gap arrived in the form of a round 14 clash with bottom-of-the-ladder Finley at home over the weekend.
Barooga won the toss and elected to bowl.
Things got off to a slow start for the visitors as Riyaad Henry bowled Jonty King for a duck, a pattern that was to repeat later in the Cats’ innings when Anthony King met the same fate.
Alex Krause smiled for the camera during his team's home clash with Finley.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
Combined efforts with the ball from Barooga in the shape of Henry (4-30) and Jono Oliver (4-4) ensured the visitors were never going to get away easily.
Henry Wilkinson top-scored for his side with 39 from 78, not-out. But by the 28th over, Finley was all out for 81.
Anthony King returned the favour by dispatching Barooga vice-captain Brendan Lewis (6 from 10), but Barooga quickly proved its metal with the willow.
Rounding off a solid year, 16-year-old Murphy Stephens posted an emphatic 68 from 66 in a show of batsmanship reminiscent of his round 11 performance last month.
Henry went on to tally a respectable 47 from 47, but it was Zach Dunn who stepped up to the plate for Barooga by making a near-ton of 93 from 115, not out.
The product of Barooga’s efforts saw the home side finish the day on 6-308 from 52 overs - a mountain for embattled Finley to take on next weekend.
Barooga vice-captain Brendan Lewis said his side was looking to make sure the top order fired on all cylinders.
“We probably tried to force wickets early, which probably led to a few loose deliveries,” he said.
“But to still bowl a side out for 81 is a good effort and a good start.”
But Barooga won’t be letting up easily, according to Lewis.
“We have to outright this coming week against Finley. If we don’t, we could be still a chance (of making finals), but we definitely have to outright Finley,” he said.
“We’ll bat probably ten overs, I think, to try to get four hundred on the board. That will leave us 70 overs on the day to bowl out Finley.”
It’s also shaping up to be a potential maiden century from British import Zach Dunn.
“Zach’s a player who doesn’t rate himself as much as he should,” Lewis said.
“We really hope Zach gets his maiden 100 for Barooga.
“I definitely know myself and the rest of the boys will be so proud if he got it.”
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