Top order fires as Peaks win three on the trot

Manypeaks remain the only undefeated team in the Albany Cricket Association A-grade competition and are growing in confidence ahead of their grand final rematch with Railways next Saturday following a comfortable bonus-point victory over Denmark on Sunday.

Having already beaten Royals and Collingwood Park, Peaks’ top order fired in their round 4 contest at Turf North as they set a daunting 213 for the Magpies to chase down.

That task proved too much as Peaks finished dominant 97-run winners and shot themselves to the top of the ladder as a result.

Skipper Aran Tilbury plundered a rapid 40 at the top of the order and veteran Ryan Kinnear’s 41 not out at No.5 was a catalyst for Peaks reaching 8-212 from their 45 overs.

Fellow opener Ethan Drew made 35 and Warwick Durack also added 35 as their side were patient against the Magpies’ seam attack.

Kinnear and Durack shared in a 49-run stand before the latter was run out by Magpies captain Ryan Gaerth, leaving their side 4-142.

Peaks set a terrific pace early in their innings as they scored freely at between four and five runs an over to be 3-99 at drinks.

Matt Ellul (2-47) and Cary Green (2-38) were the multiple wicket takers and despite only giving up eight sundries, their side had a big chase on their hands in search of a maiden win in 2018-19.

Matt Burton was promoted to open alongside Dan Robson but Myles O’Meehan made the crucial early breakthrough to remove Burton on 10.

Robson and Cary Green combined for a 47-run second wicket partnership, but just as Green appeared ready to build a significant innings, he was brought undone by youngster Bailey Cavanagh on 28.

A mix-up between Robson and Gaerth left the current captain stranded short of his ground, and he was visibly furious as he walked back for 10.

Broomhall delivered a terrific six-over spell that went for only six runs and he snared the wicket of Peter Ross, which was followed by the run out of Ellul (1) to leave the Magpies in all sorts of bother at 5-92.

Any hope of a Magpies win was extinguished when Robson’s innings came to an end on 28 and his side were eventually bowled out for 115, well short of the 169 they needed to prevent Peaks from gaining a bonus point.

Durack (0-14 off seven overs) and O’Meehan (1-26 off six) bowled well up front, while Englishman Dom O’Reilly snared 2-21 to help deliver Peaks their third successive win to start the season.

Peaks will now front up against the Tigers on Saturday in a replay of last season’s decider as they chase four straight victories.