Cricket: Mines start season with win over Wanderers

Mines CC started their on-site Port Hedland Cricket Association season with a demoralising victory over the Wanderers in week one and opened their Twenty20 account on Friday night with a solid win against a much-improved Wanderers side.

The Wanderers won the toss and elected to bat first and it did not take long for Mines to claim their first victim in the form of a run out.

Brendan Ryan (19) kicked the innings off with some nice hitting before he fell, skying one off bowler Danny Palmer 1-12.

The middle section of the innings belonged to Mines who kept the pressure on the Wanderers batsman with good tight bowling affecting a number of run-outs.

With a small total built, the Wanderers went out in the final few overs and blasted their way to 6-111 with Scott Croker powerfully hitting three consecutive sixes adding to an impressive knock of 43 not out.

Williams (2-11) bowled well.

The Mines batsman went out with an aggressive attitude with opening batsman Pyke powerfully slogging the Wanderers bowlers to all parts of the ground in a whirlwind innings of 71 off only 32 deliveries before he finally fell to skipper Johnson who bowled well (2-14).

After the initial barrage of hitting, the Wanderers fought their way back into the contest claiming a cluster of Mines wickets before some good hitting at the death from Danny Palmer (14) and Lakeman (21).

In the end Mines claimed a comfortable victory on 6-168.

The A-grade grand final replay saw Josh Townsend play his 100th game for South Hedland CC against Port Hedland.

Port batted first and South's bowling was tight and picked up regular wickets.

Port finished with 165 with Nathan Whitney (53) and Phil Hayman (39) the major contributors.

Abu Rafferty (3-19) was the pick of the bowlers for South's.

The innings of South saw a solid bowling spell by Port captain Hall to make the usual contest between the two clubs tight.

South's went about building momentum through Glenn Robertson (45 not out), with good support around him by Rafferty, Ibbotson and Ross.

Fittingly 100-gamer Townsend hit the winning runs in the last over and saw South's total rise to 8/172.