Sport
28 November, 2025
Clunes win with Erickson hat-trick
Teenager Charlie Erickson fulfilled a milestone that every bowler dreams of achieving last weekend, taking a hat-trick in Clunes’ 143-run victory over Beaufort Blue to complete round five of A reserve.
Erickson’s incredible spell was the standout in a parade of Magpies highlights, starting when the reigning premiers won the toss and elected to bat on their home deck.
Openers Fred Penhall and Mark Jenkin put Clunes in a dominant position quickly, combining to clobber 14 boundaries before being dismissed for 76 and 39 respectively.
Lucas Fudge and Paul Coon ensured the Magpies capitalised on their fast start, with Fudge belting 48 and Coon unbeaten on 24 to bring Clunes to 8/230 at the end of 40 overs.
Adam Miller was brilliant at the death for Beaufort Blue, ferociously attacking batters to take four of the last five wickets of the first innings, all by hitting the stumps.
Coon and Josh Dunn made an improbable Beaufort Blue run chase even harder by removing David Kiely and Richard Stokes early to place the visitors in a world of bother at 2/29.
Just as Beaufort Blue was starting to generate some steam with Brady Edwards and captain Ben Woolidge at the crease, Erickson was introduced into the attack.
Taking the big wickets of Edwards and Woolidge was just the appetiser for what was to come, as with the last ball of his fourth over and the first two balls of his fifth over, Erickson completed the hat-trick.
That gave Erickson final figures of 5/8 from just five overs on a day that he will never forget, as the Magpies swooped their way to back-to-back dominant victories.
Woolidge top-scored for Beaufort Blue with 19, closely followed by Edwards, who scored 18.
Round Six
A full round of action will be played on grounds right across the district this weekend as several teams look to make the most of their extended break and hit the ground running in round six.
After round five’s split fixtures, Avoca finds itself atop A reserve, looking to consolidate its newfound position against a Carisbrook team that hasn’t played since they were bowled out for 17 by Clunes three weeks ago.
Former ladder-leaders MKM will have a tough test in their quest to return to the A reserve mountain top, hosting the white-hot reigning premiers in Clunes.
Another team currently in good form is last season’s runners-up, Colts Phelans, hoping to maintain their grasp on the finals places with a home win against Beaufort Red.
Beaufort Red’s sister team, Beaufort Blue, will attempt to end their search for a maiden victory against the travelling Maryborough, while Laanecoorie Dunolly enjoys the bye.