Albany and Districts Cricket Association’s high crew defeated on opening day at CSBP nation week in Perth | USAEMALL.com

Albany and Districts Cricket Association’s hopes of regaining the Boan Cup suffered a first-round mis-hit after losing their opening fixture of the CSBP country week to Bunbury and Districts on Sunday.

Playing in A-section at the RA Cook Reserve in Perth, ADCA lost by four wickets in pool B despite a sterling half-century from Seb Stanton and a useful knock of 39 from Oli Douglas as the tail got down to business.

Skipper Coen Marwick was disappointed with the result which left Monday’s clash with Busselton-Margaret River as a must-win if the Boan Cup — which they last won in 2024 — was to remain on the table.

“We lost wickets in clumps, made a good fightback to reach 181 but then struggled to take wickets,” he said.

“We probably didn’t get the basics right — and we dropped a few catches — but we didn’t see out our overs and were definitely a bit short with the bat.”

Marwick had been sweating on the availability of key batter Lincoln Joy, the only ADCA representative in the WA Country team, which played in the recent national championships.

Joy injured his quad at that event and pulled out of this week’s hostilities with Royals’ Mitch Green stepping in for Sunday and Monday’s games and Mt Barker’s Alex Fergie joining the fray later in the week.

Having to shuffle his pack at the last minute also didn’t help the skipper whose side were all out for 181, a total chased down by Bunbury and Districts who reached 6-182.

ADCA 1 won the toss and opted to bat with Billy O’Meara and Devon Jefferis making a fast start and putting on 26 before Jefferis fell victim to the troublesome Blair Oakley.

Stanton was next in for ADCA, but O’Meara did not linger, departing for 12 and then Green went soon after for three.

Buddy Robinson was dispatched by Oakley — who had also collected the scalp of Green — for a third-ball duck, leaving Stanton with the world on his shoulders and ADCA at 4-35.

Marwick added 12 runs, but Stanton was the next to go, departing with the score on 6-112, caught by Oakley off the bowling of Tom Sletten for a priceless 52, which included seven fours.

Alby Berridge grabbed 10 runs off 27 balls but the late contributions from Douglas (39) and O’Shea Durack (23) got ADCA back into the game.

However, just as matters were looking up, the 40th over saw hopes dashed.

Douglas was caught off the first ball and Durack was bowled off the last to leave the final pair at the crease.

Milan Jaggi lasted seven balls for three runs as ADCA were dismissed for 181 in the 41st over.

Bunbury and Districts had put 40 runs on the board before Green and Durack combined to run out opener Kiran Kullar and nothing had been added when Douglas bowled Michael Tassone two balls later.

Jaggi collected the wicket of John Richardson to leave Bunbury and Districts hovering on 3-52 but Monil Patel’s 45, largely in tandem with Jaxon Cornford’s 37, meant ADCA failed to break through again until Hayden Davies caught Cornford off Douglas in the 32nd over.

O’Meara caught Patel and then Douglas caught Sletton for a duck, both off Marwick’s bowling in the 33rd over, but Oakley proved to be as tricky with the bat as he was with the ball, ending unbeaten on 30 as his side reached 6-182.

Douglas and Marwick collected two wickets apiece, the skipper proving most economical with his 2-18 off 10 overs.

Douglas conceded 50 runs for his scalps, with Jaggi ending with 1-16 off four overs.

In the other pool B contest on Sunday, Busselton-Margaret River beat West Pilbara by 48 runs.