Tigers teens on rampage

Railways breezed to their easiest win over traditional rivals North County in recent memory, delivering a staggering 10-wicket hammering at Tigerland on Saturday to rebound from their shock round 1 loss.

After restricting the undermanned Bulldogs to only 6-123 from a rain-reduced 42 overs, young openers Matt Wolfe and Brendan Crudeli combined for an unbeaten century stand to singlehandedly deliver their side a double bonus point triumph in the grand final rematch.

The pair scored at more than seven runs an over throughout the short chase, with Wolfe the first to 50 with eight boundaries before Crudeli joined in, smashing six boundaries and two sixes to finish the match in the 17th over.

Bulldogs veteran Craig Tonkin, the Tigers' long-time tormenter, was hit out of the attack in two expensive overs conceding 19 runs as the teenagers went about delivering the emphatic win with strokes all around the wicket.

Earlier in the day, the Tigers strangled the Bulldogs in the greasy conditions which halted the start of the match and was reduced to 42 overs a side.

Tonkin and opening partner Brendan Dovey started solidly, adding 50 for the first wicket but the Bulldogs found the going tough against a disciplined seam attack and failed to accelerate.

Tonkin crunched six boundaries in his 43, but was eventually dismissed in the 28th over while the dangerous Gary McGlade was knocked over by Crudeli for 12 as the innings was brought to a halt.

The Bulldogs could only add 32 runs in the final 10 overs, with Crudeli and veteran Ryan Tindale each taking two wickets.

Railways captain Zane Marwick, who was happy to keep the pads on at No. 3 and watch the run chase from the clubrooms, said he was impressed by how the side rebounded after a disappointing first up loss to Royals.

"The bowlers did a really good job for us and then Matt and Brendan batted the best I have seen from both of them," he said.

"The intensity we brought in the field was really good after last week."

More pictures and scorecard page 12.