Sport
31 October, 2025
Ecklin breaks Pombo win streak
A LONG drought was broken last Saturday when Ecklin scored an upset win over Pomborneit in round two of the Colac-South West division one premier competition.
The last time Ecklin defeated the Bulls in a division one match was way back in round one of the 1998/99 season.
Rain intervened in the second innings of the game at the Pomborneit Recreation Reserve, with Ecklin declared winners by one run under the Duckworth/Lewis system.
Pomborneit skipper Grant Place won the toss and elected to bat, with Bulls openers Dave Murphy and Matt Bignell getting off to a flier, taking the score to 92 in the 14th over before Bignell was dismissed for 25.
Murphy top scored with 80 from 68 balls, including 11 boundaries.
“Dave was back to his best, he hit the ball well and gave us a fantastic start as he so often does,” Place said.
Place himself continued his good start to the season with 46 from 63 balls, including five fours.
Tharaka Sendanayake made 18 from 27 balls and in the process reached 2000 division one runs for Pomborneit.
The Bulls batted out their 50 overs, making 9/241.
“We didn’t quite capitalise on our start but we were still happy with our score.”
Ecklin were in all sorts of trouble early as Bulls paceman Roshane Fernando struck twice in the first over to have the Frogs reeling at 2/2.
When Mikey Hayes dismissed Harry Carter to claim his first wicket for Pomborneit, Ecklin were 3/25.
Ecklin captain Jamie Dewell and veteran Stuart Timms then batted well to take the visitors to 3/97 from 20 overs when the rain became too much and play was abandoned.
The Duckworth/Lewis calculation had Ecklin one run ahead at the time.
“It was disappointing, we felt like we were only a wicket away from breaking their order open.
“We dropped a couple of chances so ultimately that cost us in the end.”
This week Pomborneit host Alvie in an important game.
“They’ve been a consistent team for a while and have started well.
“Our best isn’t far off, we just need to start to put it together as a team.”
The division two Bulls started their season with a win against Heytesbury-Princetown Purple at the Timboon High School Oval.
The home team batted first after winning the toss, and while proving hard to dismiss the Bulls bowling was tight.
The Storm made 5/139 from their 40 overs.
Brothers Isaac Cootesmith (2/17 from four overs) and Levi Cootesmith (2/22 from six overs) led the Pomborneit attack, with off-spinner Fletcher Tolland taking the other wicket.
Teenage opening bowlers Gavin Reynolds (0/13 from eight overs) and Max Rees (0/13 from seven) bowled impressive spells, going for just 1.62 and 1.85 runs per over respectively.
Opening the batting, Charlie Voutier, on debut as captain, led the way with 40 from 82 balls.
Luke Reynolds scored 21 from 22 balls, with father/son duo Simon and Fletcher Tolland guiding the Bulls to a seven wicket win in the 34th over.
Fletcher finished on 21 not out from 50 balls, while Simon hit 28 not out from 21 deliveries.
In division three, Pomborneit Gold had a strong win over Boorcan at South Purrumbete in a match also decided by Duckworth/Lewis.
Gold batted first, with veteran openers Tony Evans and Garry Riches dominating before Riches retired on 73 from 101 balls, hitting six fours.
Evans registered his seventh ton for Pomborneit, retiring on 100 from 112 balls, including seven fours.
Junior player Sam Tolland made his senior debut and made two not out to finish the innings as the Gold team registered 1/224 from 40 overs.
In reply, Boorcan were 5/101 from 20 overs when rain halted play.
Tayla Reynolds took two wickets, with Tim Whitehead, Ollie Delaney and Lily Van Es taking one each.
Delaney was the most impressive with the ball, conceding just 12 runs from his six overs as the Bulls were declared winners.
Pomborneit Maroon travelled to Woorndoo, with Donnie McInnes, in his captaincy debut, calling correctly and electing to bat first.
Maroon has a host of debutantes, with recruits Bailey Thorburn and Daniel Stones playing their first game, while junior players Harvey Roberts and Crawford Dunn made their senior debuts.
Bailey Fox, a member of the Pomborneit division four premiership team in 2024/25, made his division three debut.
Maroon slumped to 2/12 before 12 year-old number three Bailey Fox was joined at the crease by his father Darren.
The pair batted out the rest of the innings, putting on an unbeaten 193 for the third wicket.
Bailey made 57 not out from 116 balls, while Darren, in his sixth game for Pomborneit, scored 114 not out from 126 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.
Pomborneit Maroon finished on 2/205 from their 40 overs.
Sadly that was where the match ended as the rain set in.
No play was possible in the scheduled Pomborneit Gold v Birregurra and Simpson v Pomborneit Maroon women’s games on Sunday.
This week sees the division two Bulls have the bye, while in division three Pomborneit Gold play Camperdown at SA Wright Oval and Pomborneit Maroon play Heytesbury-Princetown at South Purrumbete.
In women’s cricket, it’s the Pomborneit derby on Sunday with Pomborneit Gold and Pomborneit Maroon playing each other at the Pomborneit Recreation Reserve.
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