Friday night saw a double header in Cobar’s Twenty/20 cricket competition with CSA hosting Empire in the early game.
Empire batted first and set CSA an easy target of 109 which CSA eventually reached despite making a poor start.
Empire had raced to a total of 22 runs by the third over before they lost two wickets, including opener Robert Childs, who went for 11.
Empire then lost three more wickets for just five runs to be in serious trouble at 5/27 off only six overs.
Scott Leedham and Joel Mawhinney put together a 32 run partnership before Leedham was dismissed for 12 and Empire was sitting precariously on 6/59 in the 13th over.
Mawhinney then teamed up with Scott Toomey to take the score along to 75 before Mawhinney was dismissed for a well made 28 (which included three sixes).
By that stage of the match Empire had 7/75 after 15 overs.
The side managed to bat out their 20 overs and after the loss of three more wickets, Empire finished at 9/105 with Toomey out for 13.
In the bowling, CSA’s John ‘Land Shark’ Daly finished with three wickets for 28 runs, Jed Watson took 2/3, Sam Best 2/7 and Farhan Rajiwate claimed 2/7.
CSA’s run chase started poorly and they were sitting on 2/0 after two overs before Paul Jacquelin came to the crease to kick start their run scoring.
When CSA lost their next wicket (Tony Polack was bowled by his mate Damian Wray) they were sitting on 3/16 off five overs and the low score Empire had made was looking like it could have been a hard target for CSA to reach.
Jacquelin was joined at the crease by Thinus Els and together they took the score to 34 before Jacquelin was dismissed for 25 and CSA was 4/34 after seven overs.
Jed Watson then came into partner Els and they took the score past 60 when Watson retired at 11 runs.
Farhan took his place at the crease with Els and when Els was run out for a well complied 45, CSA was coasting at 5/123.
CSA lost the wicket of Farhan for 16 before finishing their 20 overs at 6/124 to win the match.
In the bowling for Empire, two wickets each were claimed by Childs with 2/11 and Wray took 2/13 while Isaac Kershaw chipped in with 1/8.—contributed
