The evergreen Ken Wogandt propelled Yaralla to a decisive seven-wicket win over BITS Green in Gladstone Cricket A-grade action on Saturday.
Wogandt came to the crease with the Reds 2-32 chasing 173 for victory and was there when it mattered when the winning runs arrived at Yaralla Sports Club.
He hit seven boundaries in an unbeaten 63 from 94 deliveries, sharing stands of 60 with opener Hayden O’Connor (49) and 80 alongside Trent Sorohan (39 not out).
Earlier, BITS Green needed a middle and lower-order rearguard to reach 9-172 from its 40 overs.
The Greens were teetering at 4-41 before Peter Shepherd and Scott Pitt (25) combined for a 65-run stand.
Shepherd was the standout for BITS, top-scoring with 41 from just 42 deliveries, a knock highlighted by four boundaries and a six.
Cameron Lord (19) chipped in with some handy late runs until he was brought undone by Jarek Reah.
Reah proved the most successful of the Yaralla bowlers, claiming 4-24 in five action-packed overs.
Sorohan (2-20) and O’Connor (2-22) also took multiple wickets.
In the round’s other match, BITS Saints defeated The Glen by four wickets at Boyne Island.
Opener Justin Brown played virtually a lone hand, scoring 69 as The Glen finished all out for 137 in just 31.4 overs.
Brown was at his hard-hitting best, taking full toll if the Saints’ attack dropped short.
He hammered five fours and four towering sixes during his entertaining 64-ball knock.
Brown’s efforts shone like a beacon compared to his teammates, with only two other batsmen reaching double-figures.
The variety of options in the BITS attack was highlighted by five of the six bowlers used taking wickets.
Spearhead Ky Hull finished with 3-33, while Brendan Huth (2-11), Lachlan Druett (2-13) and Lucas Hall (2-28) collected multiple wickets.
The Saints did the bulk of the heavy lifting in the chase from the get-go as openers Sam Pierpoint (31) and Brendan Huth (27) put on 71 for the first wicket.
Cameos from Jacob Mills (20 not out), Lucas Hall (16) and Mark Jensen (12) steered the Saints to victory.
Brown followed up his batting heroics to take 2-24 and Jon Donald (2-29) also bowled well.
SCORES
The Glen 137 (J Brown 69, K Hull 3-33, B Huth 2-11, L Druett 2-13, L Hall 2-28) lost to BITS Saints 6-139 (S Pierpoint 31, B Huth 27, J Mills 20no, J Brown 2-24, J Donald 2-29).
BITS Green 9-172 (P Shepherd 41, S Pitt 25, J Reah 4-24, T Sorohan 2-20, H O’Connor 2-22) lost to Yaralla 3-173 (K Wogandt 63no, H O’Connor 49, T Sorohan 39no, H Finlay 2-31).
