IT was the best performance by a local side in more than a decade - however it still wasn’t enough.
Bowral retained its stranglehold on the Bradman Letter with a 73-run victory over the Cootamundra under 16s side at Albert Park on Sunday.
But it could have been so different for the home side.
When the coin fell in favour of Bowral and their skipper Max Moran elected to bat, the local lads knew they had to start well to be any hope of breaking a winless drought that has extended back to 2001.
And they did just that, taking two wickets in the opening 10 overs, another two before the first drinks break at the 17 over mark and a fifth four overs later to leave the Southern Highlands rep side teetering at 5-48.
Ryan Breese began the destruction when he trapped opener Kerrod Morris in front for five, before skipper Matt Berkrey also hit the pads of Matthew Pike (8) and Zac Moran (9) and had the umpire agree to the appeal.
Josh Logue clipped the top of Jack Preddey’s (2) stumps in the 16th over and when James Smith caught Hayden Kerr (6) short of his ground with a direct hit from mid off the local players and the large contingent of supporters were buzzing.
The home side knew Max Moran was the key wicket and, while they drew him into a couple of false starts, the Southern Zone Bradman Cup representative went about
rescuing the innings with a patient display.
Together with Tim Coenen the pair edged the score from 4-48 to 6-113 and at the same stage zapped the energy and enthusiasm out of the fielding side.
Moran eventually fell to Logue for a well-compiled 32 in the 40th over, however Coenen and Oliver Disher continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Coenen was the more aggressive of the two, spanking four boundaries in his innings of 45, while Disher, whose father Ian plated in the first Bradman Letter Challenge in 1978, was more prepared to work the ball into gaps.
Breese, who bowled his maximum 10 overs in three spells, captured two wickets in his final over to finish with the impressive
figures of 3-24 which included four maidens, however Coenen (36 not out) and Lachie Bolnell (12 not out) added a further 35 before the end of the 50th over.
The Coota boys looked exhausted as they left the field for the change of innings and knowing they would have to produce one of the highest chases in the 33 match history of the Letter would have been playing on their minds.
However they started the chase impressively, with openers Patrick Cameron and Tom McGregor surviving the opening 11 overs and wiping 25 runs off the deficit, Mc Gregor cracking just his third delivery high and long over the fence.
Cameron, who was happy to let his bigger teammate dominate the scoring, popped up the final ball from leg-spinner Preddey’s first over to be caught in close by Morris.
Logue also mistimed a Preddey delivery, skying the ball back to the bowler when on two, however the wicket that hurt the Coota innings the most was that of the captain Berkrey.
With just eight balls to the first drinks break, Berkrey couldn’t help himself and took a wild swipe at Preddey who delighted in seeing the ball clip the stumps.
Coota went to the break at 3-47 and by comparison in a better position than their rivals were at the same stage of their innings, however the loss of Berkrey hurt.
McGregor continued to play aggressively to the point that when he was dismissed for 45, the team total stood at 52.
The locals were having all manner of
trouble handling the spin duo of Preddey, who would finish with 5-25, and Oliver Cheatle, although Hamish Pennington batted well for the second top score of 24, spending the best part of 23 overs at the crease, he and Ryan Breese adding 28 for the eighth wicket, while Mitch Trinder was next best on eight.
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