Wangaratta is country’s best

Wangaratta romped home with an unbeaten third wicket partnership between Aidan Ryan and Luke Morgan of 118 runs after the team stumbled to 3-27 in reply to Yarra Valley’s 9-140 from 50 overs.

The strength of the Wangaratta outfit all week has been its ability to restrict the opposition to totals under 150 with the exception of the first day.

The brakes were applied on the Yarra Valley batting line-up by new ball combination Neil Membrey (0-26 from nine overs) and Ryan (0-24 from eight) before Joe Ashdown and Daniel Vihm moved in for the kill to be the major wicket-takers.

Ashdown captured 5-19 from 10 overs and Vihm picked up 2-12.

“The boys were good and we’ve had a great week,” Wangaratta captain Wayne Ashton said.

“When you win tight ones you can do anything.

“We didn’t have anyone not contribute for the whole week.

“We were able to get out of strife at various stages, but we thought we would do all right when we got here.

“Everyone could bat or ball and make a contribution and there is no doubt our strength has been our bowling and fielding.

“It was just exceptional and I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

The Wangaratta run chases started shakily with Jeremy Wilson, Ashton and Ashdown all going cheaply.

But Greta teammates Ryan and Morgan dug in with two bats stroking six and two fours respectively in their 100-plus minute stays at the crease.

Ryan made two half centuries and a 42 in three trips to the crease to be the leading Wangaratta runscorer for the week.

Wangaratta has earned promotion to division two where Albury-Wodonga remained despite winning only one game this year.

- North Albury’s Aaron Boyle has claimed the Bill Clark Medal for the best performed Albury-Wodonga player at Country Week.

Boyle polled 26 votes to win comfortably from Mount Beauty all-rounder Tahir Afridi on 13.