Gareth Roderick – Green Point CC, South Africa
Wicket-keeper batter, Gareth Roderick, hit two half-centuries in 24 hours as his side experienced mixed fortunes in the Western Province Premier Division matches with Durbanville and FBTC Brackenfell.
Roderick struck a fine 90 at almost a run a ball as Green Point completed a resounding 102-run victory over Durbanville.
He followed that up with a rapid unbeaten 62, but Green Point went down by three wickets to FBTC Brackenfell.
Against Durbanville, Roderick enabled his side to overcome a testing start after coming in at 34-2 after Green Point had been put into bat.
He added 69 with Wesley Bedja and was eventually sixth out with the total on 172.
Roderick hit one six, and nine fours in his 91-ball knock as Green Point totalled 196 all out in 49.1 overs.
He then held onto three catches, including top scorer Gysbert Wege for 29, as Durbanville were dismissed for 94 in 34.4 overs.
Against FBTC Brackenfell, Roderick provided the acceleration after Zack Elkin – 56 off 92 balls – and Elliot Moses – 84 off 117 deliveries – had added 103 for the second wicket.
Roderick faced just 46 balls and struck one six and three fours as he worked the ball around well for ones and twos.
FBTC Brackenfell, who had won the toss, lost two early wickets, but a third-wicket stand of 136 between Christoffer Dent (80) and Lee-Roy Walters (85) proved decisive as their side won with an over to spare.
Henry Cullen – Plenty Valley CC, Australia
Henry Cullen’s superb form continued as his unbeaten 78 with nine boundaries steered them to a four-wicket win over Strathmore in a Victoria Cricket Association encounter.
The Worcestershire wicket-keeper-batter compiled his fourth half-century in five innings as Plenty Valley reached their 192 target in 40.4 overs and won by six wickets.
Cullen has had scores of 72, 17, 54, 69 and 78 not out for Plenty Valley, an aggregate of 290 runs at an average of 72.50, and he is their leading run-scorer this season.
Strathmore were bowled out for 191 in 42.4 overs after electing to bat, with Cullen collecting one catch and one stumping.
He went in at number three at 21-1 and was part of a match-winning second wicket stand of 128 with Nanam Sharma (83).
Plenty Valley’s win has lifted them to 10th place in the 16-team table, just six points outside the play-offs.
Ben Gibbon – Willetton, Australia
Pace bowler Ben Gibbon contributed to a crucial run out and picked up one wicket as 18 wickets fell on the opening day of Willetton’s Western Australia Cricket Association first grade meeting with Perth.
Willetton were bowled out for 111 in 41.5 overs after winning the toss but then reduced Perth to 28-4 and then 136-8 from 46 overs by the close.
Gibbon’s throw to the keeper from fine leg ran out Perth number three, Jonathan Wells, and he bowled the number four, Sean Roberts, to break a stand of 59 with Jacob Snadden.
The left armer finished with figures of 7-0-33-1 as D’Arcy Short (17-3-56-4) did most of the damage for Willetton in a game which will be concluded next weekend.
Olly Cox – Eastern Suburbs, Australia
Olly Cox pulled off a splendid boundary catch to earn Eastern Suburbs a high-scoring win over Gordon on day two of a New South Wales Cricket first grade encounter.
The Worcestershire batter had scored a century on the opening day last weekend as his side totalled 463 all out.
Gordon reached 326-2 in reply, but then the wickets started to tumble before Cox made a crucial intervention.
Connor Cook had struck 39 off 25 balls when he pulled a delivery from Sam Shelly, and Cox held onto a head-high chance at deep square leg looking into the sun.
He was mobbed by his teammates as the Dolphins triumphed by 51 runs after bowling out Gordon for 412 in 71 overs, losing their last eight wickets for 86 runs.
Shelly finished with five wickets.
Twenty-four hours later, Cox scored 28 off 19 balls, but Eastern Suburbs went down by three runs to Randwick-Petersham in a New South Wales Cricket T20 first grade match.
Cox opened the innings alongside former Leicestershire and Durham player Angus Robson and hit five fours.
He had a strike rate of 147.37 as Plenty Valley chased a total of 138-9.
Cox was second out with the total on 43 in the eighth over, and none of the other front-line batters had the same momentum.
Tom Coady lifted Eastern Suburbs hopes with 57 not out from 38 balls, but they fell just short of their target on 135-5.
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