UGSCA 2023-24: Cuballing destroy Towns batting line-up to score big round six win in A-grade competition

Cuballing scored a dominant win at home over Towns in round six of the 2023-24 Upper Great Southern Cricket Association A-grade competition on Saturday. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Towns’ top order quickly fell as a great all-round display from Cuballing kept the visitors to just 94 from 31.2 overs. Cuballing’s Andrew Harris, Bevan George and Joe Dowling made short work of the chase and the reigning premiers claimed the win inside 25 overs at the cost of a single wicket. Captain Perrin Quartermaine and Scott Langford opened for Towns and despite looking solid with the bat Langford (25) would leave in the 10th over after being bowled by Caleb Dewing. Arron Quartermaine came to the crease alongside his cousin before Perrin Quartermaine (17) was dismissed off Brock Francis’ first delivery of the match, caught by wicketkeeper Rhett Ballard. The early loss of Langford and Perrin Quartermaine left a hole in Towns’ top order and Liam Sweeney (0) and Vagi John (0) were dismissed in the 13th over to catches by George and Michael Moore. Towns were 4-52 when Mitchell Ackland joined Arron Quartermaine but Ackland failed to stem the flow as he became another Brock Francis victim. Scott Fowler and Arron Quartermaine led a mini fightback for Towns but in the 25th over the prized scalp of Arron Quartermaine, who was coming off successive centuries, was claimed by Andrew Harris for 31 from 49 balls to leave Towns reeling at 6-79. Fowler made 12 but there was little lower order support as Moore snared the wickets of Pierre-louis Maas (1) and Lega Tau (0) quickly. Brock Francis was best with the ball for Cuballing finishing with 3-7 from seven overs and he had strong support from Moore (2-19). Harris and George opened for Cuballing and the pair combined for 55 runs before George (27) was caught by John off a delivery from Tau in the 18th over. Dowling (23) joined Harris (34) in the middle and the duo got the home side over the line, Harris hitting a four to seal the nine-wicket victory. In the other A-grade contest Williams and Lake Grace were set to go head-to-head at Williams, but with harvest leaving the team depleted Lake Grace were forced to forfeit.