Cricket: Marist v Eaton

Eaton Beavers thumped

Fast making a mark in his return to South West cricket, Marist standout Reece O’Connell recorded his second successive Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association LGM Industries man-of-the-match performance in a big win over Eaton on Saturday.

The impressive all-rounder laid the foundations of a Blues victory with his left-arm orthodox deliveries, tearing the heart out of the Eaton innings with three middle order wickets to reduce the Beavers from a handy 3-83 to 6-84.

He followed with 23 in a 40-run second wicket stand with Corey Fitt, who spearheaded the easy 134 run chase with 61 not out.

Missing big hitter Jake Rudd, enigmatic all-rounder Clint Hewson and Shannon Prentice was too much for the Eaton Beavers, who failed to test the rejuvenated Blues despite possessing home ground advantage.

Like all other matches at the weekend some time was lost to rain, the allotted 45 overs reduced to 42.

And like their first match of the season the Blues blitzed their opposition.

A solid opening stand of 27 between Mick Rogers and Justin Prentice was broken by paceman Jake Boyle with the innings hitting another speed hump in the form of Stuart Clark’s run out one run later.

Skipper Glen Dehring and James Hillery resurrected the innings with a flurry of sixes in a half century stand before O’Connell struck, taking 3-26 off nine overs in spite of conceding a couple of sixes to Hillery.

Wayne Murphy took a catch and a pair of quick wickets to mop up the tail.

Chasing the modest 134-run target Marist lost gun recruit Mat Foreman early but consolidated with an undefeated 61 from Fitt backed by starts by O’Connell, Shane Cristaldi and skipper Paul Reynolds.

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