The Junee Stallions suffered a devastating loss in Round 7 of the SWSCL A Grade competition last weekend, folding for a paltry 55 runs to hand the Grenfell Blues a comprehensive 86-run victory.
The result, played out at a stunned Burns Park, was a brutal wake-up call for the Stallions, who are now left to reflect on a batting performance Captain Trent Charlton’s post-match report labelled as lacking “patience and respect for their wickets.”
Charlton’s Bowlers Set the Tone
Having won the toss, Junee Captain Trent Charlton decided to bowl first, backing his attack to restrict the visitors. The opening pair of Charlton and Brad Diggins delivered immediately, proving “hard to getaway from” and securing an early wicket each.
Grenfell’s start was shaky, as they lost the aggressive Rohan Wilson (4) early. First change bowlers Ben Cook and Harminder Singh maintained the pressure, each snaring a wicket to leave the Blues reeling.
At the drinks break, the Stallions appeared to be on top, with Grenfell’s total at 4 wickets for 71 runs.
Grenfell Rebuilds Despite Mid-Order Wickets
However, the momentum shifted after the break. A determined effort led by Blues captain Bailey Edwards (34 off 85 balls) and the hard-hitting Zachary Starr (a brisk 34 off 31, including two sixes) stabilised the innings.
Grenfell capitalised on what the Stallions captain described as “sloppy fielding,” adding crucial extra runs. While Nathan Charlton and Adam Swanston fought to slow the scoring, picking up a couple of wickets through the middle overs, the Grenfell lower order dug in. It took the reintroduction of the opening combination, Charlton (3/22) and Diggins (2/22), to finally mop up the tail.
The Blues were eventually dismissed for 141 in the 34th over, a total that felt achievable, but challenging, on the Burns Park deck. Trent Charlton led the attack brilliantly, taking 3/22 off 6.1 overs, while Diggins provided excellent support with 2/22 off 5 overs.
Stallions Batting Meltdown
The chase of 142 proved to be a disaster for the Stallions. The innings never gained traction, as the top order collapsed under sustained pressure from the Grenfell attack.
Junee’s bats were “absolutely punished” and failed even to reach the 20-over mark. The primary architect of the destruction was Grenfell medium-pacer Jaxon Greenaway, who delivered a match-winning spell of bowling. Greenaway tore through the middle order, finishing with sensational figures of 4 wickets for just 19 runs off his 8 overs. The Stallions lost wickets with alarming regularity, tumbling from 1-7 to 4-16 within the first few wickets. The onlybatsman to show any application was Tom Diggins, whose brief stay yielded a team-high 9 runs off 11 balls.
The tail offered little resistance, with the entire side bundled out for a miserable 55 runs in just 19.1 overs.
The Grenfell bowling unit showed remarkable depth, with a Fill-in player claiming 3 wickets, and Zachary Starr (2/5) finishing the job by taking the last two wickets cheaply.
A Hard Road Ahead
The 86-run defeat is a harsh reality check for the Junee side, particularly as they compete in the SWSCL A Grade.
The club stated the result was “not the result they were hoping for,” confirming the team’s resolve to address the batting frailties immediately.
The Stallions will now turn their focus back to the training track this week to correct the errors that led to the melt-down.
Next up: The Junee Stallions will be back at Burns Park next weekend, where they will host Cootamundra. The club has called upon their supporters to “get behind the team as they look to bounce back.
“The pressure will be on the batsmen to show significant improvement and give their competitive bowling unit a chance to win. The task is large, but the Stallions must now channel their disappointment into renewed effort if they are to climb the SWSCL ladder.
– Tully Potts
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
