General News
14 February, 2025
Lock, stock and anchor
By GARY WALSH THE “NERVOUS nineties” may have claimed Arnold opener Heath Lock, but that didn’t stop the Redbacks from compiling a massive score against Bridgewater Bulls on the first Saturday of their two-day clash. Lock anchored the side...
By GARY WALSH
THE “NERVOUS nineties” may have claimed Arnold opener Heath Lock, but that didn’t stop the Redbacks from compiling a massive score against Bridgewater Bulls on the first Saturday of their two-day clash.
Lock anchored the side before he fell for 95 as Arnold pushed on to 7-361 from its 70 overs.
Youthful Bridgewater battled hard, but the strength of the Redbacks’ batting lineup prevailed as the Bulls bowlers and fieldsmen tired in the heat on the wide expanses of Bridgewater oval.
The Bulls struck early, with Oscar Horan bowling Cameron Dale for five with Arnold on 13, but that brought together Lock and veteran Phil Scholes in a punishing 104-run partnership.
Scholes made 70 of those runs, off 89 balls, and was particularly harsh on Toby Naughton’s bowling, taking 16 from his first over.
Lock was dropped early at backward square leg and made the Bulls bowlers pay as he faced 174 balls for his runs.
Scholes had some luck against Seth Hewett’s bowling, edging twice through the slips in the Bridgewater bowler’s first over.
Eventually he was caught behind by Harry McKinley off Horan, bringing Ryan Metelmann to the crease, who struck a well-made 42 off 54 balls before he fell to Tom McKinley. Despite the mounting score, Bridgewater maintained attacking fields all afternoon, with Hewett at times bowling to three slips and a gully.
Metelmann’s demise saw Campbell Hancock enter the fray, and he belted his way to 51 off 42 before falling to junior player Lewis Lonsdale.
Captain Henry McCullough continued the onslaught with 28 off 19 balls including five fours, but youngster Hunter Daldy deceived him with a looping spinner and he was clean bowled.
In the meantime, Lock was immovable.
His languid, unhurried batting style involves minimal footwork and, seemingly, relatively little effort, so it was a surprise to find he had struck 14 fours in his innings.
Visibly tiring and becoming frustrated – Steve Smith-style – when he missed balls he should have hit, Lock’s vigil came to an end when he snicked to the keeper off Nic Naughton’s bowling with the score on 301.
He narrowly failed to hit his second century for the season, and his composed batting will be a key to Arnold’s fate in the finals.
Lock, who won the man of the match award in the Redbacks’ premiership win last season, is the form batsman of the competition with 312 runs at 52.
Tom McKinley finished with 1-88 off 21 overs in which he mixed medium pace with leg spin and Horan took 1-61 from 14 overs.
A highlight for the Bulls was the bowling of its junior players – Lonsdale and the impressive Nate Harrison both took wickets.
Apart from a few spilled catches, the fielding was generally excellent until the players wilted late in the Arnold innings.
A mighty task faces Bridgewater batsmen on Saturday when the match resumes.
Boort Yando has a decent total to defend on the second day of the clash with Wedderburn Band.
The Magpies batted into the 70th over to make 195, with Marcus Ferguson outstanding in compiling 54 with five fours and a six.
He was well supported by Alex Cockerell (32), Josh Smith (30) and Jarrod Hodoros (23).
The indefatigable Adam Postle was resolute with the ball for Wedderburn, taking 3-52 from 25 overs including eight maidens.
James Van de Wetering impressed with 4-24 from his eight overs.
The Band, missing skipper Will Holt, will have to bat well in their innings to overtake the Boort total on Saturday.
Bridgewater v Arnold
Arnold
H. Lock c H. McKinley b N. Naughton 95
C. Dale b O. Horan 5
P. Scholes c H. McKinley b J. Bowen 70
R. Metelmann b T. McKinley 42
C. Hancock c T. McKinley b L. Lonsdale 51
H. McCullough b H. Daldy 28
F. Lock c T. Naughton b N. Harrison 17
M. Dale not out 16
K. Hewett not out 6
Extras 26
Total 7/360
Bowling: O. Horan 14-0-61-1, T. McKinley 21-1-88-1, T. Naughton 9-0-67-0, S. Hewett-Scull 7-1-28-0, J. Bowen 7-0-32-1, L. Lonsdale 2-0-15-1, N. Naughton 5-0-33-1, N. Harrison 2-0-9-1, H. Daldy 1-0-8-1, Z. Martin 1-0-9-0, H. McKinley 1-0-2-0.
Boort Yando v Wedderburn
Boort Yando Innings
W. Gould not out 2
H. Weaver c&b J. Van de Wetering 4
G. Zanker c b J. Van de Wetering 0
D. Lehman b A. Postle 10
N. O’Brien c 0
J. Smith lbw A. Postle 30
F. Bear c A. Postle b J. Van de Wetering 19
B. Minogue b J. Van de Wetering 15
A. Cockerell c b A. Postle 32
M. Ferguson c b C. Steel 54
J. Hodoras c b I. Holt 23
Extras 6
Total 95
Bowling: A. Postle 25-8-52-3, I. Holt 14-2-42-1, F. Turnbull 5-0-22-0, J. Van de Wetering 8-1-24-4, D. Benaim 7-1-24-0, S. Giorlando 5-2-19-0, C. Steel 5-0-12-1, Fill in 0.2-0-0-1.