WA Country XI fall short in opening matches of WA Premier T20 competition

The WA Country XI were dealt a blow in their bid to reach the quarterfinals of the WA Premier T20 competition, losing both their round one matches on Sunday.

Albany and Districts Cricket Association trio Jeremy Wood (Mt Barker), Nathan Crudeli (Mt Barker) and Josh Dallimore (Collingwood Park) were part of the WA Country side captained by former Albany resident Tim Hutchison and coached by Albany-raised Tim Edmunds.

WA Country XI are in Group D of the competition up against Premier Cricket sides Rockingham-Mandurah, Willetton, Scarborough and Mt Lawley.

Losses to Scarborough and Willetton have left WA Country XI without any points after round one and needing to win their remaining two games on November 27 to be a chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

In their opening game of the campaign at Burrendah Park, WA Country XI fell 16 runs short in their run chase.

Set 118 to win by Scarborough, WA Country XI made a steady start through openers Bevan Bennell and Michael Tassone.

Ex-Albany cricketer Julian Crudeli, now playing in the Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association, top-scored with 37 from 38 balls and shared in a 44-run stand with brother Nathan.

Nathan Crudeli made 16 from 31 balls before he was caught and bowled by Australian international AJ Tye.

When Tye dismissed Nathan Crudeli, the WA Country XI were 4-85.

They lost 5-8 to finish on 9-101, with Wood out for only one.

Tye was superb, snaring the Crudeli brothers and returning figures of 4-17 from four overs.

Earlier, Scarborough captain Nicholas Maiolo made 39 from 37 balls and was well supported by Joshua Mason (21) and talented teenager Cooper Connolly (15) as they reached 9-117.

Wood was impressive with the ball with 1-18 from his four overs, while Geraldton’s Clayton Bruce-Cherry picked up 2-19.

In their second game, WA Country XI were again forced to chase but they were outclassed by Willetton.

The 43-run defeat came after only Julian Crudeli, Bennell and Wood reached double figures with the bat.

For Willeton, John Sanders crunched 41 from 31 balls to go with solid contributions from Kallen Bond (28 runs from 20 balls) and Oliver Arkinstall (22).

Set 151 to win, Bennell hit three sixes on his way to 32 runs from 36 balls while Julian Crudeli scored 35 from 41.

Julian Crudeli and Bennell put on a fighting 59-run partnership but it was not enough.

Wood made a quick-fire 14 but WA Country XI were undone by Willetton’s openers Matthew Hanna (4-23) and Ben Gibbon (2-18), who combined for six wickets.

Nathan Crudeli fell to Hanna for just three and Josh Dallimore was 0 not out as they finished 9-107.

Julian Crudeli took 2-31 for WA Country XI, while Wood snared 1-31 from his four overs and Dallimore finished with figures of 1-31 from three overs.