Mt Barker earn resounding double-bonus point victory over Collingwood Park with clinical bowling performance

A clinical bowling performance guided Mt Barker to a resounding double-bonus point victory over Collingwood Park in round five of the Albany and Districts Cricket Association on Sunday. The eight-wicket victory moved the Bulls nine points clear on top of the ladder as they remain undefeated after the first rotation of fixtures. The Bulls ran rampant through Park’s batting line up before chasing the total down with ease to secure their second double bonus point win in the first five games. Spinner Jarrad Gardner, along with seamers Jeremy Wood and Jonte Easthough, tore Park to shreds on Turf South. Mitch Woods was the first to go after being caught behind, before fellow opener Nick Barrow and captain Matt Heberle steadied the ship, sharing in a 24-run stand. However both batsmen were removed in quick succession resulting in Nathan Dovey and Jarrad Fuller walking to the crease within a number of overs of each other. They added a further 18 runs before Wood had Fuller for 14 and then in his next over trapped Brad Bootsma in front as Park crumbled to 5-55. Dovey added some vital runs to his side’s tally but they lost their last five wickets for just three runs to be bowled out for 76. Gardner snared the first wicket in the flurry before Eastough bowled Josh Duffield and Ben Grey in consecutive balls to be on a hat-trick heading into his next over. Gardner then claimed his third scalp removing Josh Dallimore for a duck. Eastough was unable to secure a hat-trick but two balls later he finished the innings, bowling Jake Poad for a duck, leaving Dovey stranded on 18 not out. Gardner returned outstanding figures of 3-3 off eight overs including five maidens, while Wood was just as impressive with 2-9 off five overs. Eastough claimed 3-2 off 1.3 overs. The Bulls went on the attack in the run chase scoring at close to five runs an over, with openers Alex Fergie and Nathan Crosby putting together a 55-run opening stand in just 11 overs. Fergie was trapped lbw for 25 before Crosby was bowled for 25. But the Bulls were able to get home with ease in 17 overs. Ben Grey’s 1-13 off four overs made him Park’s best contributor with the ball.