Marwick hat-trick, opening stand turn game for Tigers

Railways made it nine wins in a row, overcoming Royals by six wickets in a gritty round 14 contest at Turf North in the Albany Cricket Association A-grade competition.

The Tigers lost to North County in the opening round and are yet to slip up again after they chased down 154 to win over the Lions, led by opening batsmen Mark Natale and Sam Want, who shared in their best first-wicket stand of the season.

The Lions won the toss and batted first, sending the Tigers into the field first, which has been rare this season, and they had a solid start against the ladder-leaders.

Mitch Green and Digby Nuthall put on 39 runs at the top and, after Nuthall went for 13 and Ted Batchelor followed soon after on 3, the Lions upped the ante when Matt Wolfe came to the crease.

Wolfe hit four boundaries and went on the attack against his former side as he put on 58 runs with Green to set the Lions’ innings up.

Wolfe spooned a catch back to Zane Marwick off Coen Marwick on 34 and in the following over they got the prize wicket of Green, who was removed by Tim Edmunds four runs short of a half-century.

Dylan Holt and overseas import Sam Hughes steadied the ship for the Lions and they looked set to score beyond 160 before Coen Marwick produced a devastating final spell.

Bowling full and straight he snared a hat-trick, bowling Holt on 11 which trigged the Lions’ demise.

Jack Hastie was then lbw for a first-ball duck and Sam Steel gave Marwick the hat-trick when he was also trapped in front.

Debutant Joe Alvin was the third Lion not to trouble the scorers but Hughes frustrated the Tigers’ attack by grinding out an unbeaten 28 from 49 balls to help his side reach 9-153 as Coen Marwick finished with 5-27 from his 10 overs.

Natale played a number of crisp cuts and drives on his way to 39 before he was given out caught behind to end a 71-run stand with youngster Want.

It was 2-71 when Matt Walters became the second Wolfe wicket of the day and Nathan Crudeli had a brief stay as well.

However, Want and Zane Marwick got the Tigers within sight of victory, the young opener reaching a maiden A-grade half-century before he was run out on 54.

Zane Marwick (23 not out) and Coen Marwick (13 not out) steered the Tigers to victory in the 42nd over with six wickets in hand.

Meanwhile at Turf South, Denmark veteran Cary Green’s fighting innings with an injured hamstring ensured a close result against Collingwood Park.

Park set the Magpies 218 to win on the back of a terrific 69 from Nathan Dovey.

The Magpies lost regular wickets in the run chase and Green injured a hamstring, requiring a runner to continue as he scored 84 to make things tight.

He was eventually removed by Nic Barrow on 84 and the Magpies were all out for 193 in reply to hand Park a 25-run win.