Round eight saw teams don the whites for the first of the Murray Valley Cricket Association A grade red ball contests on Saturday, with Cobram travelling to take on Katamatite in a battle of the Tigers at Katamatite Recreation Reserve.
Having been asked to bowl after losing the toss, Cobram hit a good line and length from the opening over; however, it was unable to find a breakthrough inside the first 10 overs, as the Katamatite opening duo of Lachlan Raggett and Jude Keates saw the shine off the new ball.
But the persistence soon paid off, as Jimmy Daniel snared the scalp of Keates with the final ball of the 15th over to leave the home side one down for 31 runs.
Raggett seemed to have got his eye in by that point, and the Katamatite opener blasted three maximums and a four across the next five overs as he started to get moving.
But De Cicco halted Katamatite’s momentum just as the scoreboard started to tick over, striking with consecutive balls to remove first-drop Ewan Wilson (5) and his replacement Danial Parnell for a golden duck, as the home side slumped to 3-60.
Daniel snared his second for the afternoon, removing new batter Riley Thompson for a duck, as Cobram began to take control of the contest, leaving Katamatite at 4-63.
Danger man Raggett would fall in the following over, with De Cicco claiming victim number three. The home side was stuck on 5-63.
Ben Lukies and Desmond O’Kane found themselves at the crease for Katamatite, and set about resurrecting the innings following the mini collapse.
For 20 overs they chipped away to add 54 runs in partnership and drag the home side beyond the 100-run mark before Jeremy Baden found a way through, dismissing O’Kane for 21 as Katamatite sunk to 6-117.
Lukies was looking strong still; however, when De Cicco trapped him LBW to send him packing for 41 and reduce the home side to 7-132, Katamatite fell in a heap as De Cicco went on a tear.
Giordan Lukies was the next to go, falling for one, as De Cicco raised the ball after claiming his fifth wicket to leave Katamatite eight down, before finishing the innings in his very next over, claiming the scalps of Harry Paterson (1) and Mitchell Ward (0) with consecutive deliveries.
All up, De Cicco snared incredible figures of 7-19 off 18.4 overs, including a ridiculous nine maidens while leaking only 1.01 runs per over to help Cobram bowl Katamatite out for 134.
Daniel was the only other multiple wicket taker, snaring 2-39, while Jeremy Baden claimed the other scalp, finishing with figures of 1-27.
Having needed less than 60 overs to end the home side’s innings, Cobram faced 20 overs before stumps, which began poorly after losing Daniel Ellis (6) early to slump to 1-13 in the fourth over.
Lachlan Hyde and Bodey Webb steadied, putting on a 44-run partnership for the second wicket, before Hyde was forced to depart in the penultimate over of the day for 17, leaving Cobram at 2-58 at stumps, with Webb not out on 23 and Daniel unbeaten on one.
The visitors are in a commanding position ahead of day two this Saturday, needing 77 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand.
Elsewhere, Nathalia has already sewn up first-innings points on day one against Tocumwal, bowling the Bloods out for 85 inside 44 overs at Nathalia Showgrounds while blasting its way to 6-200 with the bat in a whirlwind 36-over dig.
Dylan Cunningham snared 4-22 as Nathalia’s best with the ball, while Bryce Meloury (30) and Andrew Lean (18) were the only Tocumwal batters to reach double digits.
Emile Haratbar did most of the damage with the bat in Nathalia’s reply, belting 81 from 86 deliveries, while Lucas Baron was valiant with the ball for the Bloods, claiming 3-18.
At Katunga Recreation Reserve, second-placed Deniliquin is in a tricky spot at stumps in its clash with Katunga, down 4-70 in response to the home side’s total of 224.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Katunga powered its way past 200 off the back of 69 runs to Daniel Henderson, while Andrew Hogan took 4-52 for the Rhinos to help bowl the home side out in 56.3 overs.
A pair of quick wickets to Katunga’s Jacob Bartlett (2-39) helped the home side into a solid position with Deniliquin’s top four all back in the sheds by stumps, with Brad Todd’s 32 runs the most of any Rhino so far.
