HAWKESBURY Cricket Club’s first grade team avoided an outright defeat against Bankstown at the weekend, though was still crushed in a first innings loss.
Round six of the NSW Premier Cricket competition was one for the team to put behind it after a first innings capitulation, which saw just 177 runs put on the board.
Bankstown eventually declared at 9-302 and a first innings win in the bag, taking a punt that the Hawks’ top order would collapse again but despite a few hiccups it held on to reduce the damage.
Hawkesbury’s second innings was much smoother, with the team reaching 3-142 at stumps of the two-day match.
Young opening batsman Brent Atherton was 52 not out at the end of the day, and walked off the field with Arjun Nair, who had made 12.
Josh Clarke again failed to match his early season form, succumbing when he was on 20.
Up and coming player Jordan Gauci was given some time in the number three spot, customarily manned by Dale McKay, and he made 30 before being trapped leg before.
With the ball, captain Jay Dyball was the most effective, claiming three wickets from 13 overs.
Dyball also dismissed Bankstown opener Daniel Solway, when he was on 101, with a run out, while Clarke also had a run out.
Hawkesbury’s Aamir Jamal had two wickets after opening the bowling alongside Pat Lawrence, who couldn’t find a breakthrough.
In the lower grades there were two draws, a win and a loss.
Fourth grade was the lone winning side, with Daniel Hardaker’s unbeaten 66 guiding the side to a five wicket victory.
In second grade, Jarryd Gordon’s first innings century was not enough to secure victory, as Bankstown chased down 315 with two wickets in hand.
Third and fifth grade both drew with their opponents. Third grade batted first but could not bowl out Bankstown and the situation was reversed in fifth grade.
Hawkesbury’s recent run of losses across all grades has seen the club slip a long way down in the club championship standings.
With 324 points, the club sits in 14th place, after being in sixth a few rounds ago.
Round seven is another two-day match, with Hawkesbury matched against Campbelltown-Camden, where new coach Neil D’Costa was last season, along with Josh Clarke and Jordan Gauci.
