St Patrick’s Cricket Club showcased an impressive performance on March 16, 2024, securing a convincing 68-run victory over Lavington in the Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial competition. The team’s openers, Noah Vickery and Neil Smith, set the tone with a formidable century partnership, propelling St Pat’s to a season-high total of 5-295.
Vickery, an English player, was particularly outstanding, scoring his highest innings of 79 runs from just 72 balls, including a remarkable 12 fours. The home team’s score marked the second-highest total of the season, only trailing their earlier achievement of 5-328 against North Albury in round three.
“It’s very satisfying, especially against a good attack,” stated Nick Brown, who contributed 72 runs from 74 balls. He praised the performance of his teammates, saying, “From our point of view, to see Neil and Noah do what they did in the first 15 overs, you don’t see that most weeks; it was mighty impressive.” Smith added valuable support with 47 runs, further solidifying the team’s strong start.
Lavington’s bowling attack, led by Chris Galvin, who finished with figures of 3-38 from his ten overs, struggled to contain the batting onslaught. Lavington’s hopes of chasing down the target were dashed early when they found themselves at 3-31, with Liam Scammell and Scott McElnea performing effectively by taking 2-33 and 1-20 respectively. Despite a resilient partnership of 105 runs between captain Chris Galvin, who scored 78 runs, and Ryan Brown, who contributed 36 runs, Lavington ultimately fell short.
In other matches, Wodonga’s Jack Craig delivered a stellar performance, scoring 91 not out from 102 deliveries in a five-wicket win over Belvoir. Wodonga set a target of 6-217, with captain Lachie McMillan making 70 runs and opener Kaiden Withers adding a quick 43 runs from just 35 balls. Craig also contributed in the bowling department, taking 2-24 from his ten overs and partnering with Tom Johnson, who scored 58 runs, to secure the win.
Meanwhile, Wodonga Raiders continued their strong form, achieving their third consecutive victory against New City. The Phoenix’s Fawad Malook top-scored with a patient 37 runs from 95 balls, but Raiders’ captain Matt Jaensch delivered an exceptional bowling performance with 6-18, leading to the dismissal of New City for just 119 runs. James Hodkinson played a crucial role in guiding the Raiders home with an unbeaten 46 runs, finishing the match with 16 overs to spare. Looking ahead, the Raiders face a challenging schedule, including matches against four top-six teams, starting with East Albury.
As the competition progresses, St Patrick’s, Wodonga, and Wodonga Raiders are emerging as formidable teams, showcasing their skills and determination on the field.
