West Pilbara cricket season gets underway

The West Pilbara Cricket Association T20 competition got underway with four separate games last Friday night.

In Wickham, last year’s premiers Wickham Wallabies took on the Dampier Taverners 1.

After Wickham won the toss and elected to bat, Dampier got off to a good start, taking three early wickets to leave Wickham at 3-34.

Wickham’s Craig Nunn (40 not out) and Jade Johnson (32 not out) shared a 76-run partnership to get their team to 3-110 after their 20 overs.

Dampier’s chase didn’t start well, with the team losing opener Wayne Ritzema to the third ball.

Mark Saunders was then brought to the crease, steadying the ship with 34 runs.

But when Wickham’s Beau Tann and Steve Yalden combined to take 4-36 between them in their eight overs, it stopped the Taverners charge.

Wickham restricted the runs and with a steady fall of wickets, they won by nine runs.

The Baynton Lions took on the Pegs Creek Crabs at the Karratha Leisureplex Oval, where the Crabs won the toss and elected to bat first.

Sam King’s 27 runs gave the Crabs a good start and with the help of a brisk knock from Lachlan Seabrook (40), they put on a 42-run opening partnership.

But Manish Kumar took 3-28 in just three overs, with King and Matthew Smith both taken out in the same over.

Tight bowling from Nilesh Patel (1-19) and Ajesh Mallipeddi (2-15) in their overs restricted the Crabs to 130 in 20 overs.

In reply, Lions started their chase steadily and the openers put on 22 for the first wicket.

Captain Vipan Rajput (54 run-out) got the Lions home in the last over.

In the other matches Karratha Kats took on newcomers the Nickol Hawks at Millars Well Oval, with Kats winning by 20 runs.

Rec Club took on Dampier Taverners 2, at Baynton West Oval, with the new kids on the block going down by 19 runs.