Barnawartha-Chiltern hits mark with bat to down Eskdale

Saturday's 86-run triumph at home over Eskdale has elevated the side into the four on Net Run Rate, with the goal of playing finals now looking as attainable as ever.

"Our aim is to make finals, and from there we're going to ruffle a few feathers and hopefully get up there as close as we can to making a grand final," player and president Chris Hartshorn said.

"It was a pretty well rounded effort by the boys, we batted exactly how we wanted to bat, and wanted one bloke to bat as long as possible.

"'Netters' (Lachlan Netherwood) batted until 38 overs which was good for the young fella who hasn't really had a go, he made the most of his opportunities.

"It then allowed us sloggers down the end to tee off where we could."

Eskdale won the toss and sent the Miners into bat, and it was here where Netherwood began slowly but surely ticking over the scoreboard.

Despite Tom Webster going for cheap, Rhys Ritchie (20), Chad Brookes (24) and Hartshorn (22) got to work as Netherwood held down the other end.

His dismissal two runs short of a half century all but brought the Miners' innings to a close, with 6/173 the final total after 40 overs.

Tom Hodgkin had the best figures of Eskdale's bowlers, collecting 3-44.

"170 was probably a 240 score at Barny, they top dressed the ground so it's a quite a bit slower at the moment," Hartshorn said.

"Hopefully it quickens up as the rest of the season goes on."

On the chase, Eskdale encountered issues scoring freely as Hartshorn removed each of the opening four bats with only Jye Hodgkin and Thomas Newton reaching double digits.

From there, it was Webster's turn to heap on the hurt.

Webster ripped through Eskdale's middle and lower order with deceptive ease, picking up a magnificent five wicket haul and leaving the visitors well short on 89 all out.

It brought about plenty of praise from Hartshorn, who lauded Webster as the best in the league.

"Tom is easily the best player in the competition I feel," he said.

"He's well rounded everywhere, technically his batting his perfect and his bowling; keeping up to the stumps to him, we don't know where it's going to go.

"If I'm half guessing, the batters are doing exactly the same thing."

Around the grounds, Mt Beauty United emerged with a gripping win over ladder leader Baranduda in the final over.

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