Great results for Mariners in rain-affected weekend

With wins to the senior and junior teams while other grounds were washed out gave the Mariners a timely boost as the season approaches the halfway point.

At Cresswell Park, first-grade knocked Claremont-Nedlands off the top of the table while going to third with a bullet.

After making 200 last week, the Mariners and Brendon Diamanti turned the game, and maybe their season, on its head with a spell of 4/4.

Resuming at 4/19, the Tigers got nipped out one-by-one as Diamanti finished with career-best figures of 6/44 from 22 overs, with eight maidens.

The home side were bowled out for 116 as Lachlan Pratt (2/21), Joel Marion (1/16 from 12 overs) and Craig Simmons (1/8) chipped in.

The Mariners have moved to a 5-2 win-loss record and with Round 7 only producing another two first innings results, they are at the head of a logjam of teams who are just inside the top six.

Wanneroo are just outside this bunch and will head down to Lark Hill for a round eight match with big repercussions this Saturday.

Last Sunday, Rockingham-Mandurah accounted for University and Midland-Guildford at Melville’s Tompkins Park in the State-wide Twenty20.

Rain played havoc as the games were moved from Lilac Hill by the Saturday and on the day as both matches were shortened affairs.

Against University, the Mariners made 5/89 from 12 overs courtesy of Dane Ugle with 25 and Diamanti with 23.

The young pacemen were superb and kept University at arm’s length as Leon Coombs took out the first four batsmen to end with 4/19 as Pratt (3/22) and Marion (2/4) solidified the back end of the innings.

In a 16-over afternoon match, Rockingham-Mandurah batted first and Ugle starred as he and Josh Smith put on 112 for the second wicket.

Ugle smashed 59 from 45 with four sixes as stalwart Smith blazed at a strike rate of 150 with 54, studded with four boundaries and three sixes.

In pursuit of 6/126, the Swans fell 19 runs short at 7/107 as Marion (3/21 from four overs), Coombs (1/13 off three overs) and Ugle (1/22) completed fine personal days despite the Mariners finishing second in their pool with two wins from three to just miss out on moving to the knockout stages.

Third-grade made the most of a very enterprising declaration by Claremont-Nedlands to take outright victory despite being bundled out for a meagre first innings total of 58.

Leading by 73 runs with half the day to go at Melvista Oval, the Tigers honourably opted to risk a loss for maximum points as they declared at 4/70 in their second innings from 17 overs.

Jordan Brokate was the pick of the bowlers with 2/21 from seven overs.

Needing five runs an over in the last session and despite losing four early wickets, the Mariners responded to Claremont’s challenge.

Old hands Carey Green (34) and Mark Atkinson (29) edged the thirds closer.

Eric Botha (30) and Chris Bradbury (25 not-out) were the pairing who made the barely believable true as they kept their heads to take Rockingham-Mandurah to 7/144 and into fifth spot on the ladder.

The seniors’ matches at Lark Hill were washed out but not before the under 15s completed a 46-run win against Claremont-Nedlands.

The Tigers made 9/174 chasing the home side’s 9/220 as spinner Andrew Butler snared 3/27.

The under 17s were saved by the rain as Claremont-Nedlands cruised to 4/114 in response to the Mariners 9/157, before the weather intervened to end the match as a draw.

The weather didn’t help the women’s team though as the wash-out against Midland-Guildford meant that they missed out on the last opportunity to sneak over the Swans and into next week’s finals day.

Rockingham-Mandurah will be back in action after Christmas in the B-grade two-day season.

This weekend sees the men play Wanneroo as firsts and thirds host the Roos at Lark Hill, while the female juniors are at home as the under 18s play Wembley Districts (Lark Hill) and the under 15s meet Leeming Spartans (Tuart Rise Primary).

On Sunday, the colts take on Mount Lawley in a 50-over match.