Youth Club sits atop the Grampians Cricket Association A Grade ladder at the halfway point of the season after a convincing win over Aradale at the weekend.
Aradale held their own with the bat, going on to score 158 from 40 overs after being sent in by the Clubbers.
Scott Turner (60) and Cameron Ralph (38) led the way for the home side, while Clinton Slorach’s three wickets ensured a competitive second innings of the game.
The Clubbers lost opener Angus Barham for a duck early in the chase, bringing Nic Baird to the crease.
Baird accelerated Youth Club’s run rate, smashing 17 boundaries including two sixes on his way to 105 not out. The Clubbers lost just four wickets and needed only 32 overs to reach Aradale’s total, claiming the six points.
Youth Club captain Cam Kimber said Baird’s natural game paid off for him at the weekend.
“He is a real strike batter for us – it was the best he has batted this year,” he said.
The win sees the Clubbers sit in first place of the A Grade ladder at the mid-season break.
Kimber said it was a “surprise” to be first after being promoted from B Grade this season.
“We probably weren’t expecting to be on top at this stage of the year,” he said.
“I am happy with where we are heading. It doesn’t matter too much where we are – we just want to keep winning.”
Swifts-Great Western’s game against Pomonal did not going ahead at the weekend, with the club’s unable to agree to moving the game forward from January 6 to December 23 in line with the other six A Grade clubs.
A win would have seen the Combine jump from second place into first. Grampians Cricket Association president David Turner said the association is still in discussions to determine what will happen with that game.
“We haven’t made a final decision at the moment and are still working on a solution,” he said.
