BATHURST has been the team to beat in the Mitchell Cricket Council’s Presidents Cup competition over the last eight seasons, but its bid for a ninth consecutive crown just got a bit harder.
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On Sunday at The Scots School a Bathurst side missing a host of regulars suffered a one-wicket loss at the hands of Blue Mountains – the team which finished runners-up last summer.
With Orange having won two pool games already, beating Blue Mountains and Lithgow, it is the best positioned of the four hopefuls to qualify for next February’s final.
Bathurst still has games to come against Lithgow and Orange and is by no means out of contention, but it will require an improvement with the bat.
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The hosts managed just 143 runs against Blue Mountains after winning the toss and electing to bat, bundled out in the space of 31 overs.
Of those, 80 came from Bathurst debutant Jaden Ekert while Mark Day (29 not out) and Aditya Adey (15) were the only other players to reach double figures.
“The bowling was great, we just needed a few more runs,” Bathurst captain Adam Ryan said.
“We bowled and fielded well and with lots of effort. But at the end of the day we weren’t disciplined enough with the bat and they bowled well.”
Given his impressive club form for City Colts, Ekert was given the job of opening the batting on Sunday as Bathurst began its Presidents Cup title defence.
He was aggressive from the get go, helping the runs tick over at almost five an over. But in the space of two overs the momentum shifted as the hosts lost four quick wickets.
Fellow opener Imran Qureshi was run out for one and while Ryan got off the mark with a boundary, he fell two deliveries later.
The following over Jack Bragg sent Connor Slattery on his way for two and two balls later had Wayne Sellers caught behind for a duck. That made it 4-45 after eight overs.
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While Ekert cleared the rope four times and cracked another nine boundaries to help see the score into triple figures, in the 24th over he was sent on his way when caught behind off Michael Emmanuel (4-42 off seven).
Day and Adey helped to get Bathurst to 143, but it was always going to be tough to defend.
Bathurst’s attack did its best and had the visitors at 8-100 as Matt Fearnley (4-33 off 10) and Bailey Webber (3-25 off 10) ripped through the top and middle order.
The ninth wicket fell 16 runs later to set up a tense finish, but Reece Boothroyd hit an unbeaten 38 to get Blue Mountains home in the 46th over.
