Kats topple Warriors in comfy win

The Karratha Kats tightened their grip on top spot on the40-over cricket ladder after a comfortable 23-run win over second-placed Wickham Warriors on Saturday.

The Kats opted to bat first at Wickham Oval and fought their way to 5/172 on a slow outfield, thanks to the record rains recorded during the week.

Chasing the No.1 spot on the table, Wickham put up a fight, but couldn’t score fast enough.

The home side ended its 40 overs at 9/149, resulting in them slipping to third on the ladder.

At the other end of the table, Baynton Lions did their finals chances no harm with a five-wicket win, chasing down 128 over Rec Club at Baynton West Oval.

The match was shortened to 20 overs because of poor lighting and skipper Lokendra Ranawat made light work of the top order, removing Rec Club captain Brendan Kuiper (5) and first drop Rodney Jamieson (13) on his way to impressive figures of 2/8 off four overs.

Luke Breman (50) and Damian Barnes (33) combined for the fifth-wicket partnership and guided Rec Club to a respectable 128 on another sluggish outfield.

Lions openers Sanjay Yadav (15) and Dayanande Gawade (14) got the Lions off to a steady start without taking the game away from the visitors.

Strike bowler Barnes kept it tight without reward until his final over, but it was ring-in Chris Chappell, who lit a fire in the Rec’s defensive effort.

Chappell claimed both openers in his first over of cricket for the season, which was soon followed by Barnes’ dismissal of Jignesh Patel for a golden duck to have the Lions sitting precariously at 3/36.

That brought in the dangerous Muhammad Khan and he once again lived up to his reputation with a barnstorming 40 off 21 deliveries.

With the ball holding up in the outfield, Khan found going over the rope the easier option, hitting four sixes to go with his two fours.

He was eventually caught on the boundary rope, but the damage was done as the Lions were well on track to victory thanks to the whirlwind knock.

IS Arandara (15no) and Ranawat (13no) finished the match off in the 18th over off an overthrow to move their team above the Rec Club, and just two points out of the top four with two games to go.

They face a tough challenge, however, with away games to Wickham and the now second-placed Dampier Taverners to play.

The Taverners chased down Pegs Creek Crabs’ 161-run target with ease, thanks to a 121-run partnership between opener Adrian D’Cunha (91) and Bradley Goes (57no).

The Taverners reached 2/163 inside the 33rd over.