Premiership success for the Molesworth Cricket Club

Molesworth Cricket Club are celebrating after winning the Southern Cricket Association's 2nd & 5th Grade premierships over the weekend.

In great team performances, Molesworth 2 defeated Old Beach at Old Beach, and Molesworth 5 defeated Derwent at North Warrane; both wins were dominant.

In 2nd grade, Old Beach won the toss and sent Molesworth 2 into bat, and with the loss of in-form openers Mitchell Turner and Josh Ransley early, the side was 2 for 42.

Brad Ransley put on 17 runs off 22 balls before being caught behind, leaving the side 3 for 83, with Molesworth coach Corey Whitbread looking solid and batting well.

Whitbread reached his half-century before being bowled for 52 off 66 deliveries, with Nick Piuselli at the crease on 1 run and captain Brayden Hodge the new batsman with the score at 4 for 92.

Piuselli and Hodge then put on over 100 runs in a crucial partnership for their side before Jake Goodsell bowled Hodge after making 43 runs off 40 balls, with the score now sitting at 5 for 209.

Piuselli, who was seeing the ball well, was joined by Daniel Coppleman, who took the score to 258 before Piuselli was bowled for 87 runs off 87 balls in the 45th over.

Coppleman was bowled shortly after making a handy 29 runs off 26 balls, and the side was eventually bowled out for a great total of 283 off 48 overs.

Old Beach finished the innings off well, but would have been ruing 4 dropped catches in the field, which cost them dearly.

Needing 284 for victory, the home side started well with opener Liam Harris scoring at will early before being caught behind off opening bowler Jayden Wilton for 38 runs off 28 balls.

Old Beach was now 1 for 48, and Wilton, who bowled Dale Fenton at the other end, tightened the screws on the home side before Wilton broke through again, taking the wicket of Alex Rogers, who was again caught well by Josh Ransley.

Wilton, who had taken a bit of stick early, fought back and quickly took the wicket of Goodsell to leave Old Beach reeling at 3 for 55 off 11 overs.

With Dale Fenton keeping it tight at the opposite end, first change bowler Brad Ransley also put the pressure on, ultimately taking the wicket of Cassidy with another great catch coming from Josh Ransley with the score at 4 for 85 off 19 overs.

Dale Fenton bowled his full ten overs straight, with great figures of 0/27, and left-arm bowler Daniel Coppleman replaced him, which proved to be a match-winning move—with the score at 4/89 off 21 overs, Coppleman and Cameron Eyles bowled great line and length with Coppleman cleaning up the lower order, taking 5 wickets for 36 runs.

Old Beach were dismissed for 169 runs off 35.5 overs, with Coppleman and Wilton 3/50 the main destroyers.

Fittingly, Man of the Match was awarded to Nick Piuselli for his great knock of 87 runs at a crucial time in the game.

In 5th Grade, Molesworth bowled first after losing the toss, and they had Derwent in trouble right from the first ball.

In a great performance, Molesworth bowled Derwent out for 134 runs, with Timmy Boatright the main destroyer, taking 4/24, which also won him man of the match honours.

N Fenton 3/24 and B Jarvis 2/34 also bowled well, and the team easily reached the target, finishing 3/138 with S.Percy making 42 runs, N Ransley 30 and S Edwards finishing 22 not out.