Sport
11 November, 2025
Laanecoorie Dunolly cause Beaufort Bulls collapse to maintain perfect opening
Laanecoorie Dunolly continues to set the pace at the top of A grade after causing a cataclysmic collapse of Beaufort’s batting lineup on their way to a 71-run victory.
After the visitors finished the first innings on 4/208 thanks to 50s from openers Tom Hannett and Josh Fitzpatrick, Joshua Lofts and Jarrod Blandford put the hosts in a winnable position with an impressive partnership.
Three consecutive breakthroughs from star all-rounder Alex Cook were the catalyst for Laane to deliver a wrecking ball to Beaufort’s innings, who lost their 10 wickets for 40 runs.
Following a tense double-header last weekend, Laane elected to bat first after winning the toss, hoping to place themselves in a commanding position with a less nerve-wracking result in mind.
While contesting some strong spells from Theo Trevelyan-Clark, Nicholas Broad and Lachlan Oddie that limited Laane’s typically fast scoring, Hannett and Fitzpatrick meticulously picked up consistent runs early in the innings.
The new opening partnership played some brilliant shots to allow Laane’s total to reach triple digits without losing a wicket.
With the contest quickly slipping away from their grasp, Blandford created a much-needed break-through, forcing Fitzpatrick to depart after being caught by Charlie Dyer for 57, ending Laane’s opening stand at 118.
Just as Hannett and the new man in Nafis Shaikh began to settle, Blandford was at it again, dismissing Laane’s other opener Hannett for 63, coincidentally in the same fashion, caught by Dyer.
Cook joined Shaikh at the crease, with the pair looking to build from the sturdy foundation built by Hannett and Fitzpatrick.
With their confidence growing after seeing the back of both openers at 2/145, the Bulls continued to restrict Laane from completely breaking their shackles, assisted when Brandon Walsh removed Shaikh on 46, who was caught by Kriss Ellis.
After Walsh quickly collected his second wicket by bowling Cook for 16, Thomas Hart and Matt Smith finished the innings for Laane, ending on 4/208, with Hart scoring 11 and Smith adding four.
Led by captain Walsh’s 2/37 and Blandford’s 2/47, Beaufort’s bowling attack did an excellent job holding Laane to a challenging yet achievable target.
With the Bulls fresh off scoring 213 in last Sunday’s defeat to Maryborough, openers Blandford and Lofts were tasked to give their high-powered bats a chance to cash in late.
While under constant attack from Fitzpatrick, Sam Bartlett and Will Chamings, the duo weathered the storm and applied pressure back on their opponents, entering the drinks break at 0/79.
Even though their opponents were slightly behind their required run rate, Laane became increasingly urgent to end the ever-growing partnership, especially after Blandford began to up the tempo on the way to his 50.
After a 97-run stand, Joe Lovel brought about the long-awaited wicket, ending Blandford’s innings at 54 with a catch from Cook.
The Bulls were still in a durable state until Cook caused another wicket in the field, running out Lofts for 29 to get his team up and about with Beaufort at 2/101.
The floodgates began to open for Laane after Lofts’ runout, with Cook removing the dangerous Oddie for 11 with a caught and bowled before claiming the wicket of Lyle Aichroth for five with a catch from Shaikh.
Trevelyan-Clark never got the chance to restore some momentum for the Bulls, run out by Josh Britten for one to have Beaufort reeling at 5/120.
Smith kept the Bulls grounded to a halt with a devastating trifecta, sending Kriss Ellis back to the pavilion for three when he was caught by Hart, taking the big wicket of Walsh for 10 with a catch from Fitzpatrick and trapping Broad for an LBW dismissal before he scored a run.
Shaikh joined in the fun for Laane, claiming the wicket of Dyer for six with a Lovel catch before ending Beaufort’s innings in the 39th over by bowling Dan Quixley for a duck.
Smith finished with top figures of 3/14 from five overs for Laane, while Cook was vital in starting Beaufort’s collapse with 2/32.
While the Bulls were unable to capitalise on his start, Blandford looks to be hitting his stride with the bat, top-scoring with 54.