Hawks are flying

ROVERS United Bruck’s A grade side entered the Christmas break in style after securing a 48-run win over a strong Beechworth Wanderers outfit on the deck at WJ Findlay Oval last Saturday. Batting first, the Hawks posted an above-par 5/237, with opener Charith Perera leading the charge. The left-hander clobbered 85 runs from 101 deliveries, providing an anchor at one end while wickets fell at the other. Dean Shaw, batting at five, was the next batter to reach double figures, but was run out for 17 to bring Matt Whitten to the crease. Whitten (55*) and Perera forged a 42-run partnership, and after Perera finally fell, Lucky Shantha provided the Hawks with a late-innings spark. The keeper faced just 27 deliveries, but was middling it effortlessly, finding the rope three time and twice clearing it on his way to 48*. Hawks skipper Paddy McNamara said Perera has been enjoying an incredible run of form. “He’s had a great season, it’s been unreal to get him along to us this year and he’s started the season perfectly,” he said. “He’s just what we’ve needed, we’ve lacked a good left-handed opener for plenty of years now and he’s just slotted in and does what he does - he set the scene on Saturday for us and got us off to a good start. “When we give Lucky the last 10 overs he just thrives, that’s his time to come in. “The last couple of weeks he’s been able to do that for us, and once he gets in, he can hit it anywhere, he’s a 360 player – he got his opportunity and hit a couple of big ones and got us to a big score.” While they had a substantial total to chase, the Wanderers’ talented line-up means they can never be counted out of the contest. Beechworth’s Kayde Surrey was resolute at the crease, taking the majority of the strike and sending the ball to the rope seemingly at will. With 131 already on the board, the Wanderers were aggressive with their running, but a tidy bit of fielding from Charlie Lugg and quick glovework from Shantha found Surrey short of his ground coming back for the second run, run out for 81. The Hawks seized the opportunity, using precision bowling to force errors from the Beechworth batters. With scoreboard pressure and limited overs against them, the Wanderers ran out of deliveries to reach the total, making 7/189 from their 40 overs. McNamara ripped through the middle order, taking 3/26 form his eight overs, while Brady Bartlett (1/25), Charlie Lugg (1/38) and Cormac McNamara (1/48) were all in the wickets. “The wicket played very well again and the outfield was pretty quick, so we knew it was going to be good to bat on, and with their top order bats, we knew we had to knuckle down early,” McNamara said. “A few bowlers stood up, Charlie Lugg bowled and fielded really well, and Cormac (McNamara) came in and bowled well – the figures probably didn’t reflect it, but he bowled at a tough time and did well. “We had a couple of senior players out, ‘Schona’ (Jacob Schonafinger) didn’t play, so for those younger boys to step up and do well was really important.” The Hawks sit second on the one-day ladder and first in the two-day format, with senior WDCA cricket to resume with round nine on Saturday, January 11.

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