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.
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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.
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