The race for the Gladstone Cricket minor premiership is wide open following an explosive Saturday of action.
Yaralla went into the weekend with seemingly an iron grip on that first spot.
But a surprise loss to BITS Green combined with BITS Saints running down a big target at Sun Valley Park has breathed life into the pointy end of the regular season.
Boyne Island was the venue for a low-scoring thriller.
BITS Green elected to bat after winning the toss, but found themselves in early trouble at 4-19 as Yaralla duo Kane Jarvis and Hayden O’Connor ran riot.
Three of the home side’s top five batsmen, Richard Meiring, Peter Shepherd and Chris Corby were dismissed for ducks.
Hayden Knight (16) at least got the innings rolling, but when he departed BITS Green were teetering at 5-39.
Enter Scott Pitt, who took to the crease with gusto.
The No.7 faced 66 balls for his composed 47, shepherding the lower-order with great aplomb.
Pitt shared a valuable 60-run stand with Ray Carson, who contributed a handy 13, lifting BITS Green to a target to bowl at.
In the end it took a run out to dismiss Pitt, with BITS Green all out in 34.4 overs for 132.
O’Connor (4-15) claimed a number of key scalps while the evergreen Jarvis (3-16) was at his frugal best.
Like a broadway play, Pitt returned after intermission to round out his man-of-the-match performance.
Coming on first change, he tore through the Yaralla batting line-up.
From 2-55, Yaralla lost 4-10, all to Pitt, who later took the prized wicket of opener Hayden O’Connor for 52.
That swung the pendulum in BITS Green’s favour, but Jarvis refused to throw in the towel, with a fine 28 not out that lifted Yaralla to within six runs when the final wicket fell.
Pitt finished with the outstanding figures of 6-13 from his eight overs, ably supported by Peter Shepherd (1-20), Knight (1-23) and Cameron Galloway (1-32).
Sun Valley was the scene for a day full of runs with 497 runs scored and just nine wickets lost.
The Glen wasted no time electing to bat after winning the toss.
Opener Kelly Searston proved the cornerstone of a sizeable haul, scoring a terrific 106 from just 101 deliveries.
Searston was the anchor in partnerships of 57 with Andre Landman (27), 57 with Hayden Warwick (24) and 52 with Jonty Haward (22) as The Glen posted 6-248 from its allotted 40 overs.
Thomas Smith was the lone BITS Saints bowler to claim multiple wickets, returning the analysis of 2-45 off his eight overs.
Despite needing a run-rate of bigger than a run-a-ball to win, the Saints wielded the willow with aplomb.
Openers Sam Pierpoint and Brendan Huth set the tone from the get-go, putting on 125 for the first wicket.
Huth hit six fours and a six in his 45 before falling to Jonty Haward.
Pierpoint was joined by Lucas Hall, and he looked right on track for a ton, until he was bowled by Will Dundas on 91.
The dashing batsman hit 14 fours and one six during his blistering 81-ball stay at the crease.
But his exit did not halt the momentum as Hall (31) and Ky Hull’s rampaging 45 from just 34 deliveries guiding the Saints to success with eight balls to spare.
The win closes the gap at the top of the ladder to two points, with Yaralla on 36, BITS Saints 34, The Glen 24 and BITS Green 22.
A GRADE
BITS Green 132 (Scott Pitt 47, Hayden Knight 16, Hayden O’Connor 4-15, Kane Jarvis 3-16) defeated Yaralla 126 (Hayden O’Connor 52, Kane Jarvis 28no, Scott Pitt 6-13).
The Glen 6-248 (Kelly Searston 106, Andre Landman 27, Hayden Warwick 24, Jonty Haward 22, Thomas Smith 2-45) lost to BITS Saints 3-249 (Sam Pierpoint 91, Brendan Huth 45, Ky Hull 45no, Lucas Hall 31).
