Paul Donaldson cracks unbeaten century and Jon Brodala snares hat-trick in first-up win for Manypeaks

A terrific century from Paul Donaldson and a hat-trick from Jon Brodala powered Manypeaks to a first-up A-grade win in the Albany and Districts Cricket Association on Saturday. Turf wickets were ruled out for the opening round due to heavy rain in the lead-up and an entertaining match developed at Hard North between Peaks and Collingwood Park. Peaks recorded a bonus point victory on the back of Donaldson’s superb innings and a five-wicket haul from Brodala. Play was stopped for about 30 minutes due to lightning and thunder and under the Duckworth-Lewis method Peaks finished on a revised total of 240. Donaldson repeated his feat from the opening of the 2019-20 season as the big-hitting right hander posted a century in the same round, against the same team and on the same pitch as two seasons ago. His brilliant unbeaten innings of 127 from 100 balls this time was full of firepower as he hit 11 fours and six sixes to set up the 95-run victory. Peaks fell to 2-26 when Seb Stanton followed Regan Poett back to the sheds but Donaldson joined Bryce Durack (33 runs) and the pair scored freely in a 66-run partnership. Durack was caught well on the boundary at square leg and then Donaldson on 42 smashed a ball out to the deep mid-wicket boundary where Darcy Middleton was unable to reel in a spectacular one-handed catch and it sailed over for a six. After the weather break, Donaldson upped the ante and reached his century with a towering hit over mid-wicket. Donaldson and Warwick Durack (14) added 71 runs as their side reached to 5-216 from the reduced 40 overs. Youngster Jed Kowald snared 2-47 from seven overs and Byron Spaandermann claimed 2-31 but their side was set a daunting run chase. New recruit Darcy Middleton was the first batter dismissed for Park, youngster Charlie Walters bowling him with the first delivery of his spell. However Park were ticking the run rate along nicely with Mitch Woods and new recruit Jarrad Fuller working the ball around and finding the boundary consistently in a 64-run stand. When Fuller was caught for a well-made 66, it was the start of a major collapse as his side lost 7-17 to be all out for 145. Brodala bowled Josh Duffield and then had Ben Grey trapped in front in consecutive deliveries. His hat-trick ball came at the start of his eighth over as Park’s big signing Josh Dallimore was caught by Poett at point. Brodala finished with the outstanding figures of 5-35 from eight overs to hand his side a crushing win. Peaks retained the Hitchcock-Kinnear trophy with the win, contested between the two sides in their first meeting of each season.