Sport
17 January, 2026
Lightning fast in the arid field
A LIGHTNING-fast outfield baked by three days of 40-plus heat made things tough for fielders when Kingower faced Wedderburn Band on the resumption of Upper Loddon cricket on Saturday.
A LIGHTNING-fast outfield baked by three days of 40-plus heat made things tough for fielders when Kingower faced Wedderburn Band on the resumption of Upper Loddon cricket on Saturday.
But Gower veteran Ben Rose made it look simple when he dived full-length to snare a brilliant catch at fine-leg to dismiss the Band’s top scorer Luke Holt.
And it wasn’t Rose’s only contribution.
His run-a-ball 17 not out helped his side reach 8-155 when the innings was running out of steam in the T20 clash.
And he took 3-13 with his left-arm medium pace to snuff out Wedderburn’s hopes during the run chase.
The Band finished with 8-123, with five batters getting good starts but failing to go on to make decent scores.
Likewise, seven of Kingower’s batters made double figures, but Kyle Simpson’s 29 off 16 balls proved to be the highest score of the afternoon.
Wedderburn’s line-up, missing key players Will Holt and Adam Postle, was boosted by the appearance of several tennis players, whose season doesn’t resume until next month.
Among them was Sam Lockhart, who tore through the Gower’s middle order in taking 4-27, including Lachlan Dejong for a golden duck.
Mark “Macca” Lamprell, in his first hit since 2012, narrowly survived the hat-trick ball surrounded by Wedderburn fielders, and went on to make 11 from 13 balls, with a couple of fours.
His successful return to Kingower has now extended to two matches and two wins.
Rose and Nick Leach added 22 for the seventh wicket before Leach was run out – one of two following captain Matt Rowe’s dismissal for 14 in a calamitous mix-up with Simpson.
Wedderburn reached 2-62 but the tide turned after Rose’s notable catch.
Dejong went for 41 runs from three overs, but he took the key wicket of Andrew Brett after switching from medium pace to leg spin.
Brett had only two scoring shots – a six and a four – in his five-ball cameo, and his dismissal signalled the effective end of the run chase.
Rose caught-and-bowled Sam Lockhart (13) and bowled both Steve Giorlando (15) and Oscar Holt (7) in short timer
Matt Lockhart’s 18 off as many deliveries came to a painful end when he was struck just below the left eye after he edged a ball.
Lockhart, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, was forced to retire hurt.
Kingower is at home again on Saturday in a T20 meeting with Arnold, while Wedderburn has the bye.