Peaks batting collapse as Bulldogs pinch bonus point

North County pinched a thrilling bonus-point win over Manypeaks in a low-scoring and at times heated clash at Centennial Oval in round 6 of the Albany Cricket Association A-grade competition on Saturday afternoon.

The match had plenty, with Bulldogs veteran Craig Tonkin given out for obstructing the field, but his side were able to defend their small total of 117 as English import Riecko Parker-Cole tore through Peaks’ middle order.

Tonkin had played a patient innings to reach 32 after the early loss of Aaron Williams, but firstly Neil Ferreira (33) and then Tonkin departed, which trigged a batting collapse for the Bulldogs.

After playing a ball straight back to bowler Harry Broomhall, Tonkin was given out for obstructing the ball after Broomhall threw it back towards the stumps.

An appeal from Peaks was successful as umpire Brian Bracknell raised his finger and Tonkin walked back before his side proceeded to lose 7-42, with only Parker-Cole adding 20 as the Bulldogs were bowled out inside 40 overs.

Bulldogs swing bowler Graeme Weinert had two wickets in his first three overs, dismissing Regan Poett and Aran Tilbury, but they steadied the run chase through Broomhall and Warwick Durack.

Broomhall’s wicket gave his former side plenty of satisfaction and they certainly let him know about it when he was caught behind on 19. Durack (18) followed soon afterwards to leave Peaks at 4-54 but they still had more than 30 overs left in the chase.

There was a Ganzer on both team lists, but the younger, Casey, was the fifth Peaks wicket to fall on 10, and in the blink of an eye the game had changed.

Boston Cavanagh and Parker-Cole did the damage, the former removing Ryan Kinnear and Myles O’Meehan and the overseas recruit snared Ganzer and Dom O’Reilly to leave Peaks in tatters at 8-75.

Peaks, though, could not reel in the victory target, bowled out for 90 in the 29th over, and they handed the Bulldogs a bonus point in the end as well — a result that looked unlikely after managing only 117.

Parker-Cole was the chief destroyer with 4-35 off his seven overs and Weinert again proved hard to put away, snaring 2-23, as the Bulldogs jumped back to third spot.

Across the road at Tigerland, Railways embarrassed Royals in their first encounter with former player Mitch Green.

The Tigers made a strong start with the bat through Mark Natale and Sam Want before Matt Walters and Coen Marwick took the game away from the Lions.

Walters made 63 off 84 balls, included four sixes, but his partner belted five sixes in an innings of 61 from just 54 balls.

The Tigers finished on 6-229 but the Lions offered little with the bat as only Mitch Green (16) reached double figures in their feeble display.

Jack Richards (5-13) and Hayden Davies (3-8) made their middle and lower order look silly and skittled the Lions for 45 in a crushing 184-run double bonus-point win.