Tallangatta coach Matt Armstrong’s match-winning performance with bat and ball has maintained the club’s undefeated run.
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Armstrong hit his first club century in three years, and then snared 4-48 as North Albury fell a boundary short of victory.
“I used to open the batting all through the juniors and the start of my senior career, but then I pushed into the middle order as I started to bowl more,” he said.
“But I opened last week and did OK.
“I’m using an Iridium bat and it really pings off, it’s a nice bat.
“Nathan Thompson hit eight 6s in one innings earlier this month.
“I’m feeling really good at the moment, I had a big pre-season with our academy kids and did all the work they did.”
Armstrong’s 109 is his first ton since 2013-14.
I used to open the batting all through the juniors and the start of my senior career, but then I pushed into the middle order as I started to bowl more.
- Matt Armstrong
He finished 25th on the run-scorer’s list last season with 299 at 25, with a highest score of 66.
He’s now the leading run-scorer with 177 at 59, and is also the leading wicket-taker with 11 at 10.36.
“I got a few cheapies in the power play as they looked to push it along,” he said.
“I think my bowling is better suited to the one-dayers because in the longer form of the game they can just sit on you and not take as many risks.”
Veteran Steve Wood tweaked the same calf he had problems with last season and was forced to retire hurt as Greg Daniel and Ryan Addison took four wickets apiece.
“Ryan bowled the house down,” Armstrong said.
“We were looking at 300 and then he came on and started bowling leg stump yorkers.”
Addison and Daniel then starred with the bat, making 54 and 47 respectively.
“Greg was knocking us about, and Ryan batted really well, he looked like he was about to get them home,” Armstrong said.
The home team needed seven runs from the final over, and four from the last ball.
Medium-pacer Fraser Bremner dismissed Connor Smith, who had earlier hit the first six of his senior career.
“The thing I’m happiest about is we had a host of kids who are either 16 or 17,” Armstrong said.
“We had Lachie Paton, Daniel Bond, Jake Hill, Nick McCormack and then when ‘Woody’ went off injured, we had Jonty Thomas and Brad Colbert as subs.”
The Bushies’ effort to remain undefeated is even more meritorious given the club had 22 senior players unavailable.
“It’s a combination of factors, with the Melbourne Cup coming up, and players unavailable for a variety of reasons,” Armstrong said.
“We certainly haven’t had our best guys to pick from, but when you have a winning culture teams just seem to find their way across the line.”
