Both of last season’s grand finalists, reigning premier Nathalia and runner-up Cobram – were dealt first-up defeats, while Deniliquin has jumped to the top of the table with a brutal showing on its home deck.
Barooga made a very early season statement on Saturday, however, claiming victory over Cobram by 17 runs in a cross-border battle at Barooga Recreation Reserve.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Hawks suffered a spluttering start as both openers Murphy Stephens (1) and Lachlan Raggett (13) were sent trudging back to the sheds within six balls of each other, as new recruit Will Trower (2-27) and Jeremy Baden (2-36) struck in the sixth and seventh overs, respectively, to leave Barooga down 2-23, giving Cobram some early ascendancy.
Kale Watkins (6) combined with skipper Riyaad Henry to add 20 for the third wicket, but he too departed soon after, off the bowling of Chase Hardwidge (2-30), as Barooga slumped to 3-45.
Ethan Bovalina strode out to the middle alongside his captain, though, and the pair set about building a solid total for Barooga.
For the next 13 overs the duo piled on 50 runs in a vital stand, before Hardwidge again made the breakthrough to remove the dangerous Henry for 47, while Baden followed up soon after to send his replacement Riley Gow (2) packing, and the Hawks lost wickets in a clump yet again to sit at 5-110.
The innings was delicately poised for Barooga, who needed someone to stand up, and Bovalina did exactly that, delivering a patient knock alongside Kohen Haddrell.
The pair combined for a team-high 61-run partnership, which came to an end as Bovalina was bowled for a well-made 57 by Trower, though he had helped drag the Hawks to a brilliant position of 6-171 in the 39th over.
The tail wagged for the Hawks, adding 24 runs in the final six overs to post a total of 7-195 from the allotted 45 overs, with Cobram needing a similar effort from its batting lineup to form partnerships if it stood any chance of winning.
What it got, however, was more of a one-man show.
When Mikael Artavilla-Bennett fell to Riley Gow, leaving Cobram in trouble at 2-8 in the second over, the Tigers were in dire need of someone to dig in, and that’s exactly what Adam De Cicco did.
Alongside opener Bryan Eddy, the pair fought back, adding 66 for the third wicket before Eddy fell for 28 to Henry, leaving the Tigers at 3-74, which soon became 5-102 as De Cicco was forced to watch his partners come and go at the other end.
But he continued to bat on, raising the bat for a half-century and going on with it, though his teammates continued to drop, and while the Tigers steadily ate away at the target, they were quickly running out of wickets.
By the time De Cicco raised the bat to salute a maiden A-grade century, which came under significant duress, Cobram was eight wickets down and still nearly 30 runs away from victory.
The ninth wicket to fall would be that of De Cicco though, out for a superb 101, and it was the death knell for Cobram, with the visitors eventually bowled out for 178, going down by 17 runs.
It was a team effort with the ball from Barooga, with Mitchell Richmann earning team-best figures of 2-24, while Gow (2-25) and Henry (2-33) both took multiple wickets also.
Elsewhere, Katunga sprung a round one shock over reigning champion Nathalia, claiming a 17-run win at Katunga Recreation Reserve.
Posting 10-132 after being asked to bat, with opener Ethan Davies scoring a team-high 36 and Nathalia’s Scotty Morris snaring 4-13, it was Swan Hugh Duncan that swung proceedings with the ball, claiming 5-37 from his nine overs in a match-winning performance, that at one stage saw him on a hat-trick.
In the round’s final contest, Deniliquin put together a stunning batting display to thump Katamatite by 88 runs at Memorial Park, with unbeaten half-centuries to Griegan French (69 not out) and Andrew Hogan (61 not out) helping the Rhinos to a mammoth 4-248 from 45 overs.
Oliver Mynard was valiant in the chase for Katamatite, making 84, however he was left with no support, as Giordan Lukies (35) was the only other Tiger in double figures, leaving Katty short at 6-160 from the 45 overs.
Round two will see Katamatite host Tocumwal for the Bloods’ first game of the season, while Barooga will host Nathalia and Cobram will welcome Deniliquin to Cobram Showgrounds.
