The South West Slopes Cricket League (SWSCL) sprung into action across the Hilltops and beyond on Saturday, with five matches completed to kickstart the summer. The Bribbaree Rams pulled off an exciting victory at home, defeating the Criterion Bin Chickens by 20 runs. James Allen made a brisk 52 for the Rams, but they fell away late, with an unbeaten 28 from Hamish Hunter helping them to 124 all out. Thomas O’Brien (3-17) and Carl Ross (3-11) led the way with the ball for the Bin Chickens, restricting the Rams to a modest total. Chasing 125 the Bin Chickens lost two early wickets, one of which went to pick of the bowlers Aidan Mesa (3-18). Hunter returned to take a brace of wickets, with Thomas O’Brien playing a lone hand of 35 as his team finished 104 all out, 20 runs short of their target. In Harden the Hornets were thwarted by an all-round performance from Stockinbingal’s Jack Caldwell, who took two wickets and made 42* in their seven-wicket win. Coota Bulls A and B Grade faced off against one another, with A Grade scoring 156 and following it up by bowling B Grade out for 41. Similarly in Temora the A Grade Bowling Club Tigers breezed past B Grade, chasing down their score of 110 in less than 11 overs. The performance of the round arguably came from Paul Oliver, who hit an unbeaten 102 to guide the Exies Renegades home against the Shamrock Leprechauns. Meanwhile the Burrangong Cubs were unable to travel to Grenfell and forfeited their Round 1 encounter. An all-local encounter will be played in Young on Saturday when the Cubs face off against the Bin Chickens at Cranfield Oval, beginning at 1:30pm.
