ADCA 2022: Royals’ depth on display as they cruise past Railways in season opener

Royals have started their season on a winning note after a comfortable run-chase against Railways in the opening round of the Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade season. The Lions hit the ground running with a strong batting and bowling performance, chasing down the Tigers’ total with six wickets to spare to start their premiership tilt with a bonus point win. Tigers opener Billy O’Meara (7 runs) was the first to go before and Milan Jaggi (22) was trapped in front. When captain Coen Marwick (12) fell to Lorcan McNamara five balls later, his side was 3-46. Alan Pietersen and Mohit Jaggi added a valuable 31 before Pietersen (23 runs) was bowled by Angus Thompson. That was when things took a turn for the worse for the Tigers. Mohit Jaggi (11) was removed by Lincoln Joy, Mitchell T’Hart (1) fell two balls later and Lachlan Tindale was dismissed by Joy without adding to the score. At 7-84, the Tigers were in desperate need of a tail-end cameo and they got a brief one from Andre Sutherland who added 17 runs from 21 balls. The Tigers were all out for 102, with the Lions showing their bowling depth with a spread of five wicket-takers from eight bowlers. Joy finished with brilliant figures of 3-22 off nine overs while Angus Thompson also shined with 3-21 off seven overs and McNamara chipped in with 2-8 from four overs. Chasing a modest total, Lions’ Ted Batchelor (14) and Ryley Valli (16) got their side off to a solid start, sharing in a 30-run opening stand before Ryan Tindale got one through Valli’s defences. Joy (21) pushed the pace with two boundaries late in the 11th over before his partner Batchelor was caught off the bowling of T’Hart. When Leighton Smith was caught off the bowling of Tindale for four runs and Joy (21) fell to T’hart soon after, the Tigers had a sniff of an unlikely victory. But Teague Valli and Matt France combined for a superb 48-run partnership in the middle order to guide their side to a comfortable win. France hit 33 from 25 balls in a knock that included six boundaries while Ryley Valli finished unbeaten on 15 off 37. The best of the bowlers for the Tigers were Tindale (2-24) and T’Hart (2-12).