Southern Eurobodalla remain in the top four of the Far South Coast Cricket Association despite a 35-run loss to Merimbula over the weekend.
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Merimbula batted first at Berrambool Oval, and worked quickly towards building a defensible score.
Openers Dylan Jordan and Patrick Whittard frustrated the Southern Eurobodalla bowlers early, building a good early partnership.
It looked like the two openers would take the game away, but a stellar delivery from Nick Mason thundered into Jordan’s pads to have him out LBW for 19.
Whittard followed soon after for 16 to leave the home side at 2/41.
Tom Kellar then combined with Ashley Postance for another strong partnership, as the duo added 48 runs for the third wicket.
Postance went the way of Jordan, being trapped in front of his stumps by Mason for 22 to give the visitors an injection of confidence.
Kellar would soon take that confidence away, as his aggressive batting paced Merimbula’s innings.
Despite not getting another solid partnership, Kellar would single-handedly drag the Merimbula past 150 runs.
Kellar raced past 50, and his game-high 88 not out dragged the home side to 7/194 from their 40 overs
Nick Mason was the best bowler for Southern Eurobodalla, taking 4/23 from eight overs. Dean Friskin chipped in with two wickets of his own.
The run chase started positively, as Jordan Dibden combined with Mason to build an early partnership.
Both men looked comfortable at the crease as they both built their totals into double figures.
Dibden would be the first man removed for 23 when quick work behind the stumps from Tom Kellar had him out stumped.
Mason wasn’t far behind for 19, leaving the visitors needing a partnership to get back into the game.
That partnership never came, as a steady stream of wickets had them behind the eight ball for the entire run chase.
Dean Friskin and Elijah Blair provided some resistance with 24 and 22 respectively, but the low scores from batsmen Brendan Connor (9) and Thilan Walgamage (5) sealed Southern Eurobodalla’s fate.
The run rate eventually became too high for the visitors, and despite a 10th-wicket partnership of 32, they slumped to 159 from 39.3 overs.
Southern Eurobodalla will travel south again next weekend as they take on Pambula at the Pambula Beach Ground.
Merimbula will travel north to take on last-placed Bermagui at Lawrence Park.