Warren Blackwood Cricket Association’s B-grade team relegated, E-grade team finishes sixth at country week

The Warren Blackwood Cricket Association had a tough time of things at country week, with the B-grade team suffering relegation and the E-grade team finishing in sixth position. A pair of five-wicket losses to Newman on Wednesday and Eastern Districts on Thursday left the association’s top team with the task of defeating Geraldton on Friday to keep their place in the grade. Despite strong performances from Kayne Aitken (76 from 57 balls) and Nicholas Mills (3-32 from 10 overs), Geraldton tracked down the WBCA’s score of 135 with six wickets in hand. The E-grade team ended their week with a 2-3 record, adding to their win over Eastern Goldfields last Sunday with a two-wicket victory over Bunbury & Districts on Thursday, A constrictive bowling and fielding effort limited the BDCA to a below-par score of 169 from their 50 overs, which the WBCA managed to run down in a nail-biting finish. An even spread of contributors got involved with the bat, with Peter Bamess (39 from 93 balls) keeping things steady at the top of the order before Rohan Barber (37 from 63 balls) and Dean McGregor (29 from 34 balls) finished the job with 29 balls to spare.