Brian Mollet
Mullumbimby’s oval glistened like a starlet’s lip gloss on Sunday for the east of the highway derby in the Nick Shand cup between the thoroughly workshopped Byron Full-Tossers and the libertines of local cricket the Suffolk Swingers.
The toss favoured the Tossers who tottered out to bat. Levi (3/23) took the new ball with curlin’ Merlin, and made inroads into the innings as wickets tumbled like the koala canopy on the highway upgrade.
Mid-order mainstay Adam (41no) was the only batter to better the bowling, putting out more shots than the back bar at a biker club, but like an ageing lothario he ran out of partners.
Youngster Louis showed some sticking power but the innings was outed as the Swingers collected easy scalps.
Adam’s lone hand carried the Byron total to a moderate 137.
Swingers opener Owen (34no) then berated the bowling mercilessly, retiring earlier than Bernard Tomic’s interest in entertaining. Tim’s 33 set the scene for an early end to the afternoon, which was delivered in spades as Coxy (32no) shook off the effects of a mighty bender that had him prostrate and grey faced in the morning sunshine, bombing the bowling like the brain cells he obliterated the night before.
With the game firmly in the Swingers’ grasp Louis (2/2) salvaged some pride for the savaged Tossers, scattering the stumps of the livewire Levi and the worthy Wortho.
But his great effort did not stop the Byronites going down with 14 overs to spare.
With the Swingers now in the winners’ circle the pressure is on Main Arm to beat the Geckos this Sunday.
