Sport
14 November, 2025
Battle of Maryborough set to resume
The Battle of Maryborough is set to re-engage this Saturday as Maryborough hopes to stake its claim to the one-day Grand Final at the expense of cross-town rivals Colts Phelans.
When the Owls took on the Colts in their second match back in A grade, it was an encouraging revelation to see the newcomers provide a serious challenge to the reigning premiers.
After Maryborough laid down a challenging gauntlet of 215 thanks to superb knocks from Mitch McClure and Jason Hunt, the Colts showcased what it takes to be a league heavyweight.
Headlined by an outstanding 86 from Josh Collinson and a 67 not out by Tarkyn Balzan, the Colts surpassed their target in the 38th over.
Now with three wins in their last four matches, including a hard-fought encounter with Clunes last weekend, lofty expectations have been set for Maryborough as they aspire to contend for titles.
While the Colts currently occupy the last Grand Final qualification spot in second, the Owls only trail their local adversaries by three points following the Colts’ turbulent double-header a fortnight ago.
The Colts recovered from their dramatic tie to Clunes and back-breaking defeat to Laanecoorie Dunolly with a complete performance against an improving Carisbrook, restricting last season’s runners-up to 144 before passing that total with 66 balls remaining.
This weekend’s encounter is expected to be a star-studded affair, with both teams possessing several key players who have set the benchmark for excellence this season.
The two sides populate nearly half of the top 20 run scorers in the competition, with star recruits Asim Akhtar (224 runs with an average of 56) and Oliver Bennett (206 runs with an average of 51.5) leading the way for the Colts and Owls respectively.
Currently ranking second and third for wickets taken this season, both teams have well-balanced attacks that can generate breakthroughs in various ways.
Maryborough already has 10 different wicket-takers this campaign, with young spinner Jasper Trickey complementing a pace-filled lineup consisting of fellow rising star Oliver Cassidy, Elliot Ashburn, Hunt and Ben Hoban.
After relying on just six bowlers to take all their wickets in last year’s regular season, the Colts’ vaunted bowling stocks have been boosted with Akhtar, Collinson, Jack Gallimore and Abdaar Ishaq joining the established trio of Nick Henderson, Ben Evans and Dayne Baker.