CRICKET Albury-Wodonga has started its representative season in emphatic fashion after winning both of its Konica-Minolta Cup games.
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Yesterday’s thrilling two-wicket win against Canberra club side ANU at Lavington Oval followed Saturday night’s four-wicket triumph against Ginninderra under lights and puts the Border outfit in the box seat to progress in the round robin Twenty20 competition.
But Saturday’s win came at a cost, with St Patrick’s star Luke Restall seriously injuring his cheekbone after getting hit with a high ball against Ginninderra.
CAW skipper James Tonkin praised the batsman for courageously batting on to make 35 from 27 balls.
Restall’s face was swollen yesterday but he is hoping to escape surgery.
“It’s pretty nasty,” Tonkin said.
“He’s got a couple of fractures in his face.
“He kept batting which was a tough effort.
“I went out there and said to him, ‘Well maybe you should come off mate’, and he said he wanted to bat through it.
“He said he could see.
“He played a really good innings through that adversity.
“It sums him up.”
Yesterday’s win was set up by big-hitting Tallangatta keeper- batsman Nathan Thompson, who smashed 43 from 30 balls to help CAW in its run chase.
Lavington’s Sam O’Connor, who replaced late withdrawal Aaron West in the side, hit the winning runs with seven balls remaining, CAW finishing 8-151, chasing ANU’s 3-150.
Panthers all-rounder Liam Scammell was also impressive, smashing six boundaries on his way to a quick-fire 36.
“Scam batted really well at the start,” Tonkin said.
“That was the role we wanted him to play.
“We wanted him to build that total towards 150 and Thommo is always electric.
“He hit some big balls there.”
Earlier, Zimbabwe-born keeper-batsman Friday Kasteni, 24, smashed 62 before he was stumped by Thompson off the bowling of Sam Drury.
Englishman Drury was the only CAW player to get a wicket, finishing with 3-19 off four overs of off-spin.
ANU defeated Ginninderra in yesterday’s first game.
Tonkin said the side would now look forward to a double-header away against Western Creek and Leeton next month.
The qualifying finals start November 25.
“The two wins makes it a lot easier,” he said.
“We are very happy.
“That tops off a really good weekend for us after the win last night.
“It’s always hard to play that much cricket so early in the year but we are ecstatic with that result.”
