Donnybrook upset top-two hopefuls at home

Donnybrook breathed new life into the BDCA finals race after securing an upset six-wicket win over Colts at Egan Park on Saturday. In a fantastic performance from start to finish, the Dons secured their impressive victory inside 35 overs, with skipper Bradman May (53 off 100 balls) and Adam Bilston (71 off 85 balls) leading by example for their side. Aside from an early burst from Jack Buswell (2-30 off eight overs) and Paul Jones’s remarkable 2-7 in the final over of the match, no other Colts bowler seriously looked like derailing this impressive Donnybrook display. After sending themselves in, the visitors began steadily, with youngsters Jake Michell and Brian Hughes opening the batting. Content to operate with pace at either end during the early stages, the home side got their first breakthrough in the fifth over after Jeremy Della-Sale trapped Hughes in front, much to the delight of his teammates. Keen to maintain their momentum, Colts sent clean-hitting Bevan Bennell in as their ‘first drop’ and from the moment he took guard, it was clear the home side would need to be at their best to remove him. With Michell and Bennell beginning to get into a groove, Donnybrook skipper May elected to switch things up in the 12th over, replacing Noah Greenmount with Philip Welsh from the pavilion end. It took only two balls for May’s change to pay off, with Bennell nibbling at a delivery to Izaak Bedford. Bennell frustratingly trudged off the field following his dismissal, no doubt ruing the fact he had missed a chance to build yet another impressive performance. Slowly but surely, the Dons worked their way through the Colts batting card, with late innings cameos from Luke McPherson and Cruize Ciallella ensuring the visitors had a somewhat defendable 148. In reply, the hosts had to weather a tough opening barrage from Buswell (1-3 off two overs) and skipper Josh Topliss (0-7 off three overs), who were determined to push them to the very end. However once Bilston and May were at the crease, a Donnybrook victory looked to be the only outcome, with the impressive duo combining for a beautiful 131-run partnership for the third wicket. In his only over, Jones managed to dismiss both May and Bilston inside three balls, however by then the result had been confirmed.