Peel Cricket Association kicks off country week with loss to West Pilbara | day one

A 40-run contribution from Waroona’s Jayden Derosa did little to help Peel to a winning start, as Shazad Gondal (5/24) and Shane Edwards (75 runs) guided the Pilbara outfit to a comfortable victory.

Peel was off to a shaky start after electing to bat first when opener Ben Doudle was caught out on six runs.

The fall of third-in-line Ben Wright for 11 runs followed by a golden duck to young gun Damien Burrage had Peel in a 3/36 hole, one they would fail to haul out of with Wesley Steele (4), Jesse Buck (0) and Sach In (6) being ousted on single-figure totals.

The tail did its best to wag with Mat Thomas (12), Sebastian Websdale (13) and Andrew Peckover (11 not out) breaching double figures but outstanding bowling from Gondal, who was superb across his 12-over spell, saw the PCA sent packing on 118 runs after 36 overs.

Unlike Peel, the Pilbara squad was off to a fine start with the bat when Bayden Lee (28) and Corey Rutgers (34) compiled an opening stand of 62.

Mitch Brown gave Peel some hope when he claimed the scalps of Rutgers and James O’Brien – followed by Wright ousting Brad Rixom – leaving the Pilbara at 3/67 all of a sudden.

But those hopes were dashed when Edwards put together a knock of 75 to see his side past Peel’s total and onto a score of 163 at the end of the 50^th over.

The PCA will look to chalk up their first win when they take on the Eastern Goldfields in round two on Monday.

Unlike the A-graders Peel’s second team is off to a hot start having dismantled Eastern Districts on the back of Greg Roos’ stunning showing in game one.

Roos notched 59 runs as the side opened the batting with a resounding 245-run total, and backed it up with a stunning spell of bowling going 5/30 from his 13 overs.

He teamed up with Dylan Gray (59) to help Peel overcome the losses of Adam Bremner (5), Jordan Bell (0) and Jeff Yeaple (0), but it was Grant Coles who tallied the team-high score with his 62 (and Lewis Binns’ 32) spurring the side on to their big total.

Eastern Districts batsman Stuart Yandle did what he could to power his side with 70 runs, but Roos’ bowling was superb as he partnered with Coles (3/34) to buoy Peel to a win.

The PCA’s second side will take on Busselton-Margaret River in round two on Monday.

PCA 3

The thirds opened their campaign with a resounding win thanks to Kyle Jeffrey’s outstanding form with the ball.

Jeffrey dominated South Midlands in their pursuit of Peel’s score of 269 (tallied largely thanks to Reece Powell’s game-high 64 runs), destroying their order on his way to 5/14 from 8.1 overs.

His figures kept South Midlands well beyond reach of the required total, gifting Peel a victory and allowing them to head into the second round against Albany on a win.

PCA 4

Rapid scoring from Chris O’Donnell (58 off 36 deliveries) helped the PCA’s fourth team claim a win in their opener against Geraldton.

O’Donnell blasted out his half-ton after fellow opener Peter Ritchie was dismissed on the first ball of the innings, spurring the side into a strong position in their chase of Geraldton’s score of 129.

The opener was assisted by an unbeaten 55 from Mitchell Searston and a further 32 from Joel Ritchie, guiding the fourths past their opponents as they finished their innings well ahead of target on 192 runs.

Peel’s fifth side fell just narrowly short of kicking off their campaign with a victory, going down to Exmouth despite an impressive 64 runs from Luke Green.

Batting first, Exmouth tallied a score of 161 in the face of some outstanding bowling from Peel’s Troy Matthews, who claimed 5/33.

Peel’s chase was stunted when opener Jayson Sandiford was out on a duck, but contributions from Green and Daniel Cole (34) helped breath life into the chase.

Unfortunately no other batsman registered a double figure score, with Peel dismissed just five runs short of a win in the 45^th over.