Dual tons lift Magpies to victory

Sensational centuries to experienced campaigners Jack Davies and Chris Oates laid the groundwork for Wangaratta Magpies’ 91-run win over Delatite on Saturday. Playing on the batter-friendly Norm Minns Oval, the Magpies won the toss and chose to bat, racing to 3/279 from their 45 overs before bowling the Devils out for 188. The innings was in jeopardy early with openers James Thewlis and Jarryd Wallace departing cheaply. Davies and Callum Honey (28 off 30) worked hard to steady the innings but when Honey spooned one to short cover, the Magpies were 3/84 and in trouble. Together, Davies and Oates would blaze a 195-run partnership, blasting 24 fours and three sixes at a good clip in a show of dominant power hitting. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing – from the 23rd over onwards, Oates started labouring between the wickets and doing calf stretches at the non-strikers end. In the 26th over, Davies swept a ball and called for a run, and Oates was almost home before he pulled up, hobbled over the crease, and hit his bat on the ground in frustration. He’d done his calf, the very same injury he sustained back in round two, reaggravated in his first match back. The pair would continue to lash the ball around the ground, managing Oates’ injury as best they could, but it came to a head at the end of the 27th over, where a runner was brought out. Under WDCA laws, a runner is permitted if a batter sustains an injury during the game, so Thewlis was recalled in full batting gear to serve as Oates’ runner. The runs kept flowing, and with only a handful of overs remaining, Davies was on 99, before pulling a shorter ball to the boundary to bring up his maiden century in 177 matches for Wangaratta Magpies Cricket Club. Oates was closing in on his ton as well, pushing into midwicket for a quick single (courtesy of Thewlis) in the last over of the match to enter triple figures for the ninth time across his career. At the end of the 45 over innings Davies (105* off 108 balls) and Oates (103* off 88) stood undefeated and walked – or limped – from the ground with the Magpies in a strong position. Stand-in captain and stand-in legs, Jimmy Thewlis, said it was a special knock from both Davies and Oates. “It was good to get to 280, at one stage we might’ve been lucky to be pushing 200,” he said. “It was also good to see Jacko make his hundred, his first in A grade – he’s gotten close a few times there, it was good for him to get that monkey off the back. “Oater kept his cool, there were a few times there where I thought he might throw it away, but he kept on hitting boundaries and hitting gaps beautifully, he just whacked them. “It was a huge partnership, they batted really well together, and obviously it could’ve gone either way when he hurt himself and he could’ve thrown it away but he kept on working and did a really good job.” Needing more than six runs an over from the outset was always going to be a massive ask for Delatite, but they made a good effort. Skipper Trent Berry (38 off 61) and Earl Ree-Goodings (29 off 24) made starts but failed to go on, while no other Delatite batter made more than 22 before falling. Harry Dean was the pick of the bowlers – while expensive, he did take wickets at crucial times, finishing with 3/32 from his 5.1 overs, while Thewlis sent down a more conservative 2/20 from eight overs. “I was happy to see Oscar Edwards [0/17 off four] bowl as well as always, and Jarryd [Wallace, 1/15 off four] did a good job to start with, and Rhys [Grant, 1/15 off six] was very consistent which was good to see,” Thewlis said. “Harry Dean was probably the other one, it was good to see him grow in confidence, that’s his first real chance at bowling in A grade, and a little mention to his younger brother Jack who came and sub fielded for us.” The Magpies move into the top half of the ladder, sitting two games behind the frontrunners.

Dual tons lift Magpies to victory

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