Brendan Grills returned to form with his first half-century of the season while 15-year-old rising star Kori Pope also stood tall with 48.
The pair set competition leaders Waves on track to another victory over East Bundy Magpies after they had lost two early wickets in their Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership round seven showdown at Salter Oval on Saturday.
Meanwhile, three of second placed Norths’ batting big guns, Brendan Handley, Josh Winen and Chris Napper, came to the fore with fine knocks to lay the platform for a 40-run victory over the win-less Brothers.
Most Magpies batsmen made starts, but none of them were able to go on with the job, still, they posted a competitive 8-190 from their 45 overs.
The reigning champions then stumbled to 2-19, before opener Michael Loader (36) and Brendan combined in a partnership of 63 runs, then Brendan continued on in a 61-run alliance with Kori, before he was dismissed on 50 neat.
Kori followed another 18 runs later, two runs short of a deserved 50, and while Adam Pozzebon came and went cheaply, Jayden Larsen and Mitchell Waters then guided them home safely to a four-wicket triumph with 4.2 overs remaining.
Trent Seeds, who had top scored for East with 38, was also their only multiple-wicket-taker with 2-50, but Waves were again simply too good on the day.
Norths also lost captain and opener Blyton Pendergast cheaply, falling victim to 16-year-old Division 1 second-gamer Jayden Santacaterina, but their rock solid top order again came to the rescue, with opener Brendan (52), first drop Chris (45) and No. 4 Josh (56), paving the way to a strong 5-204.
Brothers also slipped to 2-24, and while the remaining five of their top seven all reached 20, none of them were able to capitalize and the Brethren were ultimately bowled out for 164 in 43.2 overs, with Queensland over-60s spinner Bruce Worthington the main destroyer with 3-38.
With five rounds remaining, Waves are now on 59 points, clear of Norths (51.76), East (39.75) and Brothers (25.76), who are running out of time to stake a claim for a finals berth, and they would need to win probably four of their last five games if they are to make an unlikely late challenge for third position.
Waves also extended their lead to 18 points in Division 2 with a hard-fought win over Magpies, but Easts claimed the outride lead at their expense in Division 3 with a two-wicket victory over them.
Unfortunately, the resumption of Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball Association fixtures after the Christmas recess was postponed by one week due to the fields at Brothers Sports Club still not being ready for play following more heavy rain late last week after the irrigation works done on the grounds early last month.
Instead, they will now have double-headers in all divi8sions this Saturday and Sunday.
Here are the scores:
CRICKET BUNDABERG
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 1 PREMIERSHIP
NORTHS 5-204 (Josh Winen 56, Brendan Handley 52, Chris Napper 45, Jayden Santacaterina 5-1-11-1) d BROTHERS 164 (Dylan Heycox 33, Josh McInnes 33, Andy Porter 23, Lachlan Heycox 21, Bruce Worthington 9-1-38-3, Shannon Smith 6-0-28-2, Laird McKay 6.2-0-45-2).
WAVES 6-194 (Brendan Grills 50, Kori Pope 48, Michael Loader 36, Trent Seeds 8.4-0-50-2) d EAST BUNDY MAGPIES 8-190 (Trent Seeds 38, Lennon Childs 24, Arden Lankowski 23, Paulson Antony 23no, Ryan Norton 3-0-9-2, Luke Owen 9-1-34-2, Chris Duff 9-0-41-2)
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 2 PREMIERSHIP
WAVES 5-162 (Kyle Stallan 88no, Sam Stuchbery 33, Roderick Jensen 7.4-1-25-2) d EAST BUNDY MAGPIES 5-158 (Dale Steele 39, Greg Rehbein 28no, David Bonser 28, Sean Stuchbery 8-0-35-3, Brodie Coates 5-1-11-1).
BROTHERS 7-226 (Mitchell Parsons 93, David Boge 57, Dustin Collin 27, Olive Boge 22no, Damian O’Neall 7-0-22-3, Dean Kronk 8-0-53-3) d NORTHS 163 (Chris Napper 51, Josh Winen 37, Damian O’Neall 35, Oliver Boge 6.3-1-15-5, Dustin Collin 8-1-41-2)
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 3 PREMIERSHIP
EAST BUNDY MAGPIES 8-168 (Greg Rehbein 53, Jordan Petersen 50, Nick Catasti 7-1-26-2, Jack Beveridge 6-0-39-2) d WAVES 7-167 (Jason De Papi 51no, Ryan Maclean 31no, Daniel Clancy 4-0-30-2, Jordan Petersen 6-0-34-2).
BROTHERS 5-81 (Oliver Boge 40no, Marty Ryan 6-2-11-3) d ISIS 78 (Nick Clarke 7-2-12-3, Oliver Boge 5-1-11-2, Toby Lamond 7-0-22-2).
YMCA 131 (Brett Woodward 56, Tom Morgan 4.5-1-22-3, Shaun Pinney 7-2-24-2, Ken Milliken 7-0-37-2) d NORTHS 91 (Jade Hyde 23, Russell Baker 5.4-2-7-2, Lex Webster 7-2-9-2, River Felstead 6-0-17-2, Brett Woodward 7-1-20-2).
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