Wanderers’ finals hopes dashed after part time spinner claims five wickets

Written by By JEREMY WILSON.

BEECHWORTH’S hopes of reaching the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association finals are in tatters following a disastrous defeat at the weekend.

The Wanderers went into the second day of their clash with ladder leader City Colts eyeing a certain victory, but a number of factors conspired to see the result swing against them.

As for the Colts, it was arguably their best victory in recent memory with star batsman Nick Norris the unlikely hero.

Having been bundled out for just 93 last week, the Colts gave themselves little chance of victory when the Wanderers reached 0/44 in reply.

Heading into the match, skipper Kent Braden conceded as much.

"It’s probably only a one or two per cent chance (of victory), but we’ll go out there and have a good crack early on," Braden said last week.

But the introduction of Norris, who made a diamond duck with the bat, into the bowling attack brought remarkable results for the Colts.

Norris took the extraordinary figures of 5/10 off 18 overs and combined with Daniel Vihm (3/21 off 18.4) to bowl the Wanderers out for just 82.

Braden described Norris’s performance as exceptional.

"They are quite ridiculous figures," he said.

"He was only going to get the one over but he bowled well and was getting probably a foot of turn so we kept him on.