HAWKESBURY Cricket Club has started its season in fine style after defeating ManlyWarringah in the top two grades at the weekend.
The bottom three grades all lost in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition, but Hawkesbury still finished up the week with 76 points for the club championship.
The club is intent on following through with the success of last season, when it finished 10th in the club championship, and the wins against last season’s top club are a good start.
In the first grade, lower order batsmen Corey Lowe and Kerrod Gordon put on a 101 run fifth wicket partnership to help steer the side out of a tricky situation.
Opener Brent Atherton started well, making 67 runs but no one else in the top order could stick around with him.
When he was dismissed the score was 5-99 and the innings was precariously balanced.
However, Lowe dug in and made 52, while Gordon started swinging and made 74 from just 64 balls faced, which included two glorious sixes.
The team was all out for 241 from 48.4 overs and in reply, Manly-Warringah was all out for 192.
Anthony Kershler had a five wicket innings as he conceded only 18 runs against Manly-Warringah’s batting attack.
Kershler took all five middle order wickets, which included dismissing number five and six bats Jay Lenton for a duck and Aidan Baker for one run respectively.
Pat Lawrence was the other danger man with the ball for Hawkesbury, as he claimed four wickets.
Ben Patterson claimed the only other wicket for Hawkesbury on a day where the bowling attack had the better of Manly-Warringah in an innings where the high score was 33.
In second grade, Manly-Warringah was skittled for just 68 runs, thanks to a five wicket haul by Sam Timbs.
Aaron Beach, 46 not out, and the rest of the Hawkesbury batters made short work of the total, chasing it down in 22.1 overs.
On Saturday, Hawkesbury will take on Blacktown.
