Peel Cricket Association 2024/25 Season Opener
Halls Head Hold Firm to See Off White Knights Baldivis
A rock-solid all-round display sees Halls Head claim a 42-run win at Peelwood Reserve.
It wasn’t flashy, it didn’t need to be. In classic Halls Head fashion, the defending premiers rolled their sleeves up and found a way to win, shrugging off early stumbles to post a gritty 201. Jack Manuel, cool as ever, delivered an old-school knock—60 from 96, steering the ship just as the seas got choppy. Tim Miles chipped in with 40 when it counted, ensuring there was a score to defend despite wickets falling with an all-too-regular rhythm.
But this game was won with the ball, and none were better than Chris Loveridge. Eight overs, four for 25—suffocating the life out of the White Knights chase before it ever found its rhythm. Joseph Swan joined the party with three of his own, tightening the noose. For White Knights, Wesley Steele and Kalani Scarrott fought bravely with 33 apiece, but they were lone hands in a side running out of answers. Chris Phelps was relentless, delivering six overs for nine runs and picking up three key wickets to seal the deal. White Knights stumbled to 159 all out, falling 42 runs short and well under the pressure of Halls Head’s superior execution.
Halls Head: 201 all out (Manuel 60, Miles 40; Loveridge 4/25, Swan 3/30)White Knights: 159 all out (Steele 33, Scarrott 33; Phelps 3/9)
Waroona Edge Mandurah in Spirited Chase at Meadow Springs
Ben Wright’s cool head and flashing blade secure Waroona a five-wicket win in a nail-biter.
What more could you want from a Wyllie Cup match? Mandurah posted a competitive 181 on a tricky surface, thanks to Connor Smith’s knock of 65—crafted with grit and patience across 116 balls. While Aidan Barrow (32) and Jordan Bell (24) chipped in with useful contributions, Mandurah’s progress was stifled by Damien Stanley’s brilliance with the ball. He was all over Mandurah like a rash—five for 28 from eight overs, busting through partnerships every time Mandurah looked to rebuild.
In response, Waroona's top order stuttered, with early wickets adding tension to the chase. But captain Jayden De Rosa (39) and Daniel Baker (30) steadied the ship, setting the stage for Ben Wright’s late flourish. With nerves aplenty, Wright unleashed a calculated assault, finishing unbeaten on 41 from just 39 balls to guide his side home in the 47th over. Waroona's composure under pressure proved too much for Mandurah, who will be left wondering what might have been.
Mandurah: 181 all out (Smith 65, Barrow 32; Stanley 5/28)Waroona: 182/5 (Wright 41, De Rosa 39; Pritchard 2/34)*
Singleton Irwinians Brush Aside Pinjarra in Comfortable Win
A swashbuckling innings from Glen Geuer helps Singleton Irwinians cruise past Pinjarra’s modest total.
Last season's grand finalists Pinjarra never really found their stride at Sir Ross McLarty Oval. Jamie Lee stood as the lone warrior, compiling a gritty 51 off 99 balls in an otherwise faltering batting effort. Irwinians’ bowlers gave little away, with Josh Thomas returning stellar figures of 4/28, and Pinjarra’s innings fizzled out at 129 in the 43rd over.
The chase was a canter for Singleton Irwinians, driven by Glen Geuer’s electric 48 from just 29 balls. He belted boundaries for fun—eight in all, along with a six—ensuring the outcome was never in doubt. Jimmy Carlsson’s steady 25 anchored the chase, as Singleton Iwrinians knocked off the runs with five wickets to spare in just 27 overs, underscoring their dominance and sending a clear signal to the competition.
Pinjarra: 129 all out (Lee 51; Thomas 4/28)Singleton Irwinians: 130/5 (Geuer 48, Carlsson 25; Ritchie 2/22)
Shoalwater Bay A Grade Make Light Work of Rockingham Hornets in Chase
Powered by Cortland and Senior, Shoalwater Bay breeze past Rockingham Hornets by eight wickets.
There’s no better setting for drama than Stan Twight Reserve, and the Hornets came out swinging, riding high on the back of Steve Erceg’s blistering 92 off 91 balls. Nine boundaries, five towering sixes—Erceg had the crowd roaring as he took the bowlers apart, anchoring the Hornets to a competitive 222. Iden McCleave (31) and Jett Goard (24) offered useful contributions, but it was Seth Kennedy with the ball who gave the Hornets real hope, snaring five wickets for just 41 runs in a polished display.
But Shoalwater was undeterred. Dudley Cortland's patient 81 off 101 balls kept the chase on course, laying the foundation for skipper Josh Senior’s fireworks at the back end. Senior exploded with 64 not out from 41 balls, peppering the boundary with five sixes and three fours to finish the job with style. Liam Richards played the steady hand, unbeaten on 58 from 120 balls, as Shoalwater cruised to 224/2 with four overs to spare. This was a batting clinic underpinned by maturity, as SBCC made a tricky chase look routine.
Rockingham Hornets: 222 all out (Erceg 92, McCleave 31; Kennedy 5/41)Shoalwater Bay: 224/2 (Cortland 81, Senior 64, Richards 58*)*
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