Lavington’s much-vaunted pace attack has destroyed Tallangatta’s premiership plans.
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The Bushies were skittled for just 81 after slumping to 8-48 in reply to the home team’s 207.
The result could have been much different though after Lavington crashed to 9-118 on day one.
Number seven Chris Galvin (64) and Will Heriot (39 not out) put on 89 runs for the final wicket.
“When we were 7-93, I thought if we could get to 130ish, we’re still in it with our bowling and 150 would have been great,” coach Robbie Mackinlay said.
“It was one of the best last-wicket partnerships you’d see.
“We finished the day with so much momentum and confidence and with our bowling attack, we just knew we could get on top.”
It was one of the best last-wicket partnerships you’d see. We finished the day with so much momentum and confidence.
- Robbie Mackinlay
Galvin struck his highest score of the year, with six boundaries, while Heriot posted his top score, in any grade, in his six seasons.
He also hit two sixes, his first at provincial level.
Earlier on, opening quicks Sam Stephens (3-77) and Dilhara Lokuhettige (2-26) had tied down the Panthers.
Lokuhettige was on a hat-trick after dismissing Nathan Brown, who’d struck a rapid-fire 27 from as many deliveries, and captain Sam Harris.
The last-wicket heroics robbed the Bushies of the momentum and Ryan Brown started the second day in ideal fashion by snaring Curtis Stephens with the first ball.
The visitors never recovered.
Fraser Bremner hit a ball almost straight to Heriot at mid-off in the second over and had the throw hit the stumps, he would have been out by around two metres.
But that is what Lavington’s pressure with the ball and in the field can do, with opener Greg McGillivray bowled by Daryl Tuffey in the fourth over when he didn’t offer a shot.
Nathan Thompson played a couple of strong shots, including a superb cover drive against Brown, but he was out for 14.
The other ‘big three’ in Matt Armstrong (17), Sahib Malhotra (3) and Lokuhettige (0) also couldn’t combat the four-pronged pace attack.
“You’ve got a bloke who’s played 26 Tests and 94 ODI’S (Tuffey), you’ve got a bloke that’s played ACT Comets, Brett Davies, you’ve got Ryan Brown (4-33), who’s one of the best bowlers in country cricket and Nathan Brown, who bowled 13 overs and took 3-5,” Mackinlay said.
“If we bat out our full overs, we don’t think any side can beat us.”
Ironically, Tallangatta has posted the top score against the Panthers this season, making 8-234 in a pre-Christmas one-dayer.
Since the two-dayers started in mid-January, the Panthers have conceded just 845 runs at 106 per innings.
North Albury now faces the association’s best attack in a generation at Tallangatta’s Rowan Park in the weekend’s grand final after its win over Wodonga.
