Byron Bay Cricket Club has played its way to the top of the Far North Coast second grade ladder after winning both its opening games.
In its first game at home at the Cavanbah Oval for the 2024/25 season Byron Bay beat the Casuarina Crocs 2 after they were sent in to bat and scored 6/260.
Tom McGeorge (90), Brendan Mitchell (62) and Lenny Bridle top-scored, while Nathan Metz was the best visiting bowler with 3/52 off his eight overs.
In rely the Crocs were bowled out for 96 in the 34th over. The captain Darcy McGregor topped the scoring batting at number 11, with 29no. Only one other batter reached double figures.
Mitchell backed up his batting with the top bowling figures for Byron of 4/2 off eight overs, supported by Jason Trisley’s 2/20 off 7.1 overs.
Last Saturday the Byron side continued its form with a win over the Murwillumbah Panthers at Rabjones Oval.
Byron chose to bat and reached 9/249 as McGeorge top-scored again with 65, backed up by Brady Fuhrmann (35), Mitchell Barnes (28) and Sean Wills (25).
Pete Comerford (3/41) and Hugo Portus (2/42) were the best of the Panthers’ bowlers.
The Panthers had a slow batting start losing 2/17 before the middle order got moving. Anton Peenz (63), Ned Serne (40no) and Rob Watt (27) shouldered the chase, but couldn’t do enough.
Murwillumbah finished on 8/202 after their 40 overs. Sebastian Campbell (2/25), Fuhrmann (2/25) and Trisley (2/23) were the best of the Byron bowlers.
The Mullumbimby Brunswick Bobsledders XI also kick-started their summer and are undefeated after a wash out two weeks ago, and a big win last Saturday against the Casuarina Crocs.
Playing at Bilambil the Crocs chose to bat and met their match in the Bobsledders’ opening bowler, Rick Collings, who took a wicket with his first ball and another with his fourth to leave the home side 2/0.
Collings ended up with 4/13 off six overs, including three maidens, and was pivotal in rolling the Crocs for just 47. James Clarke (2/11) and Jared Carr (2/0) were also destructive.
In reply the Bobsledders fell to 3/20 but Michael Nguyen (19no) helped steady the ship. The total was reached with five wickets down.
Jarad Gorman picked up 4/22 off five overs.
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