KILLARA FIRE FOR FOUR ON THE TROT

THE PENMAN Synthetic grass confronted Comenara & the Killara Bingles at Northbridge in round four, but there was nothing artificial about the performance of the NSCAs second placed outfit. With the unique surface an unknown quantity, Comenara elected to bat first as sunshine broke through to present a perfect afternoon for cricket. Perfection too for Jack Mansfield as the whippy right-armer opened the bowling with Jared Barry in the absence of Will Reed & Ed Lembke-Hogan. The blonde bomber fired out two batsmen in as many overs, Dylan Ross pouching a rapidly approaching edge in the cordon for the games first dismissal. In his second over Mansfield dislodged the stumps with a hooping inswinger, a product of the humid conditions and the bowlers nous. In between Mansfields mesmerising of the Comenara top order, Barry was busy bearing down on the batters, combing genuine pace and steep carry to bully his opposition into submission. Whilst Barry was unlucky to go unrewarded, Killaras first change paring of Jack Roach and The Penman made the most of their predecessors clinical opening. Forced into risky shot making after a poor start, Comenara sacrificed their middle order to the Bingles medium pacers. Roachs probing length provided catches for Ross, Sam McKenzie & a fleet footed Julian Nicholls, whilst The Penman also linked with McKenzie for a wicket before prising out an LBW. With seven wickets down Comenara were well short of a decent total and debutant Tyler Miller decided well short of a length would be his area for the day. The shoddy batting was matched by the umpiring of Millers spell, as he was continually wided despite providing a clinical education in short pitched bowling. Amongst the mess made by Miller, James True embarrassed yet another wand-waver with a flighted delivery that had Nicholls ripping the bails from atop the stumps. At the other end, Stylers violent four overs produced several badly frighted batsmen, a vicious lifter that resulted in a broken helmet and one well deserved wicket in a memorable first up performance. A target of 82 appeared a pittance for the Bingles, kilLARA well known for managing digits of more considerable size. The Comenara seamers appeared more intent on breaking through the sound barrier than their opponents defence, Luke Achterstraat and Toby Joyce fending off a pacey but predictable attack. Joyce was the first and only wicket to fall for the Bingles. Having driven strongly down the ground for the innings first boundary, he attempted a carbon copy only to be undone by a change of pace and spectacular catch. Exit Joyce, enter Nicholls; The Killara captain happy to cast off even with the Anchor down at the opposite end. Nicholls pulverised all bowlers, piercing the offside with lusty cover drives and pummelling powerful pull shots through the on. Comenaras quicks failed to maintain any intensity as their fast bowling power rangers were reduced to weary powder puffs. While Achterstraat played the supportive hand once more, Nicholls ended a frustrating run of starts with an entertaining half-century. The final ball of the match last sighted rolling down the ninth fairway of Northbridge Golf Club having been fittingly despatched for six by the keeper batsman.

A nine-wicket walloping elevating Killara to outright leadership of the C-Grade one-day competition and cultivating plenty of nerves for the remainder of the ladder and perhaps Messers Reed and Lembke-Hogan. Its likely a bowl off at training will determine the Bingles opening bowlers for round five.