Late stand proves a winner

A fast-paced seventh wicket stand from Collingwood Park’s Tim Pyle and Ben Grey proved the difference in Park’s win against Manypeaks in blustery conditions at Tigerland on Saturday afternoon.

In the Albany Cricket Association’s A-grade competition Park’s top order was decimated by opening bowler Myles O’Meehan to leave them reeling at 7-51 in the 20th over.

But Grey and Pyle held steady early before smashing 74 runs off the final eight overs to set Peaks a competitive target of 159.

O’Meehan finished with figures of 4-18 from eight overs as he claimed opener Jesse Spandermann along with Nathan Dovey, Josh Duane and Nathan Vernon cheaply.

A series of rain delays shortened the match to 37 overs which put Park in a precarious position at the halfway point of their innings.

Pyle and Grey combined to find the boundary nine times in the latter stages of the innings as they lifted the run rate from 2.6 to more than four an over in a short space of time.

Peaks got off to a conservative start before Bryce Durack fell victim to the bowling of Pyle, and was soon followed by Ryan Kinnear, leaving Peaks at 2-40 in the 11th over.

After slowing down through the middle stages of the innings Aran Tilbury and Warwick Durack worked hard to create a 48-run partnership from nine overs before Tilbury was dismissed by Paul Barnett.

Peaks needed 42 runs from the final seven overs but fell short as Park opening bowler Bryce Jackson finished with a maiden in the last over to end Peaks’ innings at 7-148.

Warwick Durack top-scored for Peaks with 41 while Tilbury provided 24 runs from 21 balls.

Hayden Burling, Pyle and Barnett all finished with two wickets for Park who got their season off to the perfect start with a win against last year’s grand finalists.