ADCA 2025-26: Denmark come down to earth with a bump as Wood’s 58 sees Mt Barker cruise home by six wickets

After starting their Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade campaign with a round-one win, Denmark were bounced back to reality as they stumbled to a six-wicket defeat at the hands of reigning premiers Mt Barker on Saturday. The only A-grade contest to take place showed Mt Barker at their bullish best, cruising past the home side’s respectable 9-216 with just four wickets down and only 37 overs gone. The other fixtures fell victim to the rain as Collingwood Park against Manypeaks, and Royals against Railways, were abandoned without a ball being bowled. This is Denmark’s first A-grade campaign since 2019-20 and, after beating Railways in their first outing back in the top flight, they made a confident start to round two when they were put into bat. Captain Campbell Robertson held the innings together with a sterling 81 off 117 balls until, with a century beckoning, he skied a chance and was caught off the bowling of Jeremy Wood with 175 runs on the board. He had promising partnerships with Lochlan Otway (16) and Jed Schwarzbach (23) but once Sam Keeling-Wright got hold of the tail, only Lewis Culver, with 42 off 51 balls, was able to provide some resistance. Wood was the key man with the ball, dismissing both Magpies openers and Tarik Hartfield to finish with 3-37 off his nine overs. Keeling-Wright also bagged three victims off nine overs, at a cost of 38 runs. Alex Fergie and Harrison Woithe were the other bowlers to strike, though the Magpies were grateful for the 30 extras. Wood’s run-a-ball innings of 58 not out stole the show in the Bulls’ reply, although Keeling-Wright and Fergie got the ball rolling with an opening stand of 37 before Keeling-Wright fell to a Robertson catch off Culver’s bowling. That, and Culver’s trapping of Neil Ferreira lbw, was as good as it got for the Magpies as their bowling lacked penetration and Wood, in partnership with Clayton Wood, who notched 27 runs off 31 balls, completed the victory with plenty to spare. Seth Davis walloped seven fours in his cameo of 38 runs off 62 balls before he was stumped by Hartfield off Jed Schwarzbach. Culver was the best of the Magpies’ bowlers, snaring 2-33 in his 6.4 overs.