A 134-run partnership between Josh Carmody and Peter Guthrie has helped Cowra District’s representative side defend the Grinsted Cup against Young, despite a scare late in the innings.
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The victory, played at Twigg Oval, sets up a cup defense against Parkes, who are looking ominous with two teams sitting on top of the Lachlan Premier League table.
Chasing a modest total of 195 for victory, things started off awkwardly for Cowra when two early wickets to Cal Taylor left Cowra reeling at 2/29.
Enter Carmody and Guthrie.
While Guthrie (78 not out) laid the groundwork with a steady turnover of the strike, Carmody slogged and edged the ball with abandon, generating 12 fours on his way to 68.
Young were hapless at times in the field, with numerous dropped catches and missed balls creating unlikely runs for Cowra.
However, Mick Ashton’s dismissal of Carmody triggered a mini-collapse, as Taylor – Young’s best bowler with figures of 4/59 – quickly followed up with the dismissals of Thomas Thuaux and Jacob McNaught, leaving Cowra at 5/172 with five overs remaining and 24 needed for victory.
The Young fightback was short lived though as Guthrie – who at this stage was starting to struggle with his efforts between the wicket after a full innings at the crease – and Ben Houghton successfully ran down the final total with two and a half overs remaining.
Guthrie, a strong performer for Canowindra in club cricket this year despite a trying season results-wise, said there was a conscious effort to speed up the run rate towards the end, even as the wickets fell.
“When the wickets fell, there was a lot of dot balls in that period, Ben Houghton and I spoke about it,” Guthrie said.
“Bat on ball, singles, two’s, that’ll gradually get us to the winning total, and with the odd boundary that he hit, we did it comfortably.”
While Guthrie was quick to make mention of his fellows batsmen, he also mentioned Jacob McNaught, who in a role change, bowled a fair amount of pace, producing the best figures of the day for Cowra with 2/24.
“He bowled really well… he said that’s the most he’s bowled in a couple of seasons,” Guthrie observed.
For Young’s part, skipper Jonte Powderly (1/14 and 33), who along with Taylor, Ashton (1/45 and 56) and Luke Cosgrove (48), helped keep Young in the match, wasn’t too despondent with the result.
“Mick was awesome... and Cal… wouldn’t have been able to do it without him,” he said.
“Most of the guys, it was their first game of the year… To play right to the end, it was good to see,” Powderly said.
While Young and District won’t have another representative game until February next year – An O’Farrell Cup game – Powderly said it was a good opportunity to get the area’s better players together.
He also paid compliments to the playing surface and outfield, believing it offered plenty of opportunities for both bat and ball.
“It was the best one I’ve played on over there for a while and the outfield was awesome,” he said.
