Solid as a rock: Echuca opener Brendan Moyle displays a copybook defence.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
A brilliant knock from Matt Hinks has put Echuca in prime position following day one of its Goulburn Murray Cricket A-grade clash against Kyabram Fire Brigade.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Hinks continued his blistering start to the season by scoring 99 as Echuca posted 317 at Victoria Park.
His bid for what would have been a deserved century was thwarted when adjudged lbw from the bowling of Rob Salter.
Hinks hit six boundaries and a towering six during his 231-minute start.
Echuca set the tone for a sizeable total from the get-go with openers Brendan Moyle and Curtis Townrow on top.
Hard work: Chare Smith finished with figures of 0-47 but he did have a hand in two run-outs.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
Townrow displayed some sparkling strokeplay, meeting the challenge from the Flames’ star international recruit Chare Smith.
The left-hander peppered the boundaries (six fours and a six) during a stylish 34 from just 33 deliveries before falling to Salter.
Moyle and Hinks then put on 46 for the second wicket, taking Echuca to 2-93 when Moyle went for 40.
He was the first of two quick wickets for Jack Donnell, who claimed the scalp of young gun Archer Carlile to have Echuca at 3-103.
Maximum: Umpire Gary Langdon signals six to Curtis Townrow.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
Any thoughts of a mid-innings wobble soon went, though, as Hinks and Aidan Young combined for a fine 91-run stand.
Young looked on track for a first half-century of the season, but came up just short after being brought undone by Rikki Busch on 47.
From 4-193, Echuca continued on its merry way with Hinks at the forefront.
Or should that be Hinkses, as Matt was joined at the crease by brother Charlie (13) for a handy 42-run stand, but Charlie’s departure and that of Ben Holt had Echuca at 6-249.
It was 7-283 when Matt Hinks made the long walk back to the pavilion.
Echuca rallied again through the counter-attacking brilliance of Adam Jones.
To borrow a horse racing expression, Jones does his best work “fresh”.
In his first hit of the season, he displayed no signs of rustiness in a half-hour of real power.
Jones hit three massive sixes and a quartet of fours in a fabulous 53 from just 27 deliveries.
His dismissal was the first of two wickets for Brenton Campbell, and the run out of skipper Simon Maddox brought Echuca’s innings to a close after 78.2 overs.
Four Kyabram Fire Brigade bowlers took two wickets apiece.
Donnell’s four-over cameo reaped the figures of 2-13, the best for the Flames.
Salter claimed two vital wickets in his haul of 2-46 from 12 overs.
Busch (2-58 from 15 overs) and Campbell (2-72) had to earn their double breakthroughs.
Despite collecting 0-47 from his nine overs, Bermudan international Smith was credited with the two run-outs.
21°C