ADCA 2024-25: Reigning T20 champions Mt Barker keep title defence alive, Tigers and Park claim single wins

Mt Barker scored two vital T20 victories, to keep their title defence alive on Saturday in the Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade competition. Fielding a much stronger team than in previous weeks, the Bulls were emphatic seven-wicket winners over Manypeaks and then claimed a final-over thriller against Collingwood Park. The Bulls are the reigning T20 champions but lost their opening game this season to rivals Royals. In the round 10 fixture, the Bulls were left to chase just 94 to win after a brilliant opening spell from Myles Davis ripped through Peaks’ top order on Turf East. Davis snared Seb Stanton (4), Kane Pinney (4), Oliver Douglas (0) and Casey Ganzer (6) to leave Peaks reeling at 4-16. Englishman Ben Southern scored 31 and was supported by Cameron Walsh (16) and Ryan Kinnear (14no) further down the order as Peaks finished 7-93 from their 20 overs. Davis was outstanding with 4-11 from his four overs and well supported by Patrick Butler (2-13) and Jarrad Gardner (1-15). Alex Fergie was run out early in the chase for just three, but the Bulls cruised to victory as Jack Pope and Neil Ferreira made strong contributions. The pair shared in a 46-run stand that got the Bulls more than halfway to the target. Pope made 35 before he was bowled by Southern and Ferreira was unbeaten on 35 to go with 14 not out from the returning Nathan Crosby as the Bulls won in 14.1 overs. Southern was the shining light with the ball snaring 2-22 from his four overs. The Bulls then made it two successive T20 wins, after an Alex Fergie six off the final ball won the clash against Park at Turf South. Park batted first and made 7-124 as Dylan Soloman made an impressive 42 in the middle order. Import Freddie Sharp made 25 as an opener and brothers Jesse and Byron Spaanderman made 16 and 15 not out respectively but it was Davis again that did the damage, finishing with figures of 4-23. Pope (5), Ferreira (6), Ryan Gaerth (9) and Crosby (5) all fell cheaply in the chase before experienced pair Fergie and Jeremy Wood combined to steady the ship. Fergie made a half century and Wood timed the ball well to pass 20 but the game went down to the last over. The Bulls needed seven runs to win off the Jaymon Spaanderman over and had levelled the scores with a ball remaining. Fergie blasted a huge six from the final ball to seal the six-wicket win. Earlier Park successfully defended 115 against Railways on Turf South. The Tigers needed 17 runs from the final over but Leroy van den Dool conceded just nine as Park won by seven runs. Devon Jefferis was 34 not out and Billy O’Meara made 21 at the top, but the Tigers fell behind the required run rate and finished 6-108 in reply. Jed Schwarzbach led the Park innings with 27 and fellow youngster Buddy Robinson made 19 not out as they made 7-115 despite the stellar figures of 2-7 off four overs from veteran Tim Edmunds. The Tigers bounced back however, with a final over victory over the Lions at Turf East later in the afternoon. The Lions won the toss and batted first with Mitch Green scoring freely to make 41 from 32 balls while Ryan Davies (25) and Daniel Thomas (20) helped their side finish 7-131. A superb half century from O’Meara was the catalyst for the Tigers win. The Tigers needed just five runs to win in the final over and Angus Thompson (3-14) bowled two dot balls in the first three deliveries. However, four runs from the next three handed the Tigers a five-wicket win, as Jefferis (12no) hit the winning run off the last ball. O’Meara made 59 runs from 51 balls and fellow opener Joe Stanley chipped in with 35 to get the Tigers ahead of the rate.