Lindenow South Glenaladale have won the battle of the ladder leaders in round eight of the “A” grade Bairnsdale Cricket Association 2025/26 season, defeating Orbost by 39 runs at the Lindenow South Oval.
The Bulls now sit two games clear on the table, with the Blues dropping to third, trailing second-placed Wy Yung on percentage.
The Bulls won the toss and elected to bat and were quickly in trouble at 2/11 with Nick Davis (2/23) picking up the dangerous duo, Scott Dare and Scott Davidson cheaply.
But as is the norm for the Bulls, they dug in; this time it was the turn of Sam Howden (58 from 81 balls) and Haydn Erfurth (29 from 42), who is never far from the action.
They put on a match-defining 95-run partnership for the third wicket in 19 overs, turning the pendulum back in the home side’s favour.
But the introduction of Luke Endley (3/28) saw Erfurth depart in his first over, when he looked set to kick into another gear.
Alex Hulme (2/24) bowled Howden shortly after, ending his nine-boundary sojourn.
Logan Dunkley (18 from 26) and Mel Irish (22 from 35) made valuable contributions but neither was able to get the bowling by the scruff of the neck and force the pace like they can.
Endley picked up Dunkley and Seth Smith after he helped himself to a massive six.
Wickets continued to fall, Luke Humphries picking up 2/39 as the Bulls were bowled out in the final over for 187, a healthy score of greater than four an over, but the Blues had given themselves every chance, bowling the dangerous competition measuring stick out, which doesn’t happen every week.
Orbost lost Humphries, the mainstay of their 2025 batting resurgence, early to Smith (3/38) but Jayden Price (44 from 45) and Mikael Hulme (16 from 27) knuckled down and took the score along to 69, before disaster struck in the 12th over, Price was unfortunately run out when he looked to have the game on the end of his bat.
His cameo contained seven well-struck boundaries, many of which sizzled across
the outfield.
Dunkley (2/26) removed Mikael Hulme in the next over, before Davidson (3/31) got one through Alex Hulme.
Endley (10) followed shortly after, before skipper Curtley Farley and Braeden Ross, both went leg before wicket, victims of the tight and miserly Bulls attack, accurate and at the stumps and great fielding, leaving Orbost 7/102.
Joshua Court came to the crease and batted with purpose, making 24 from 27 balls, as the Blues tail tried to mount an unlikely counter-attack.
But the reintroduction of Smith livened the game up, the burly all-rounder, picking up a run out and two wickets as Orbost succumbed for 148 in the 35th over.
The professional and well-drilled outfit from Lindenow South Glenaladale was victorious yet again.
The assignments certainly don’t get easier for Orbost, this week drawn in another match-of-the-round clash, taking on Lucknow at the Orbost Recreation Reserve.
The Magpies have been one of the genuine improvers this season and seem to be tapping into the right mix of experience, youth and import, which has seen them pick up four impressive wins.
Orbost will be keen to bounce back, after two recent losses either side of the bye, hoping it was only ring rust that was last week’s downfall to a worthy foe.
