Cricket, they say, is a game of glorious uncertainties, and the Round 4 clash of the SWSCL B Grade 2025/26 Senior Mixed competition at Tim Doolan Oval delivered uncertainty in spades.
In a match that swung wildly between dominance and disaster, the Harden Hornets Senior Mixed pulled off a spectacular great escape, chasing down the target set by the Bribbaree Rams with just five wickets down and five balls to spare.
The final scorecard read 9/145 (40 overs) for the Rams and 5/146 (30.5 overs) for the Hornets, but the bare numbers fail to capture the drama of the afternoon, particularly the resilience of the Hornets’ tail-end batsmen who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Rams’ Innings:
The Schiller Blitz
Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Bribbaree Rams set about building a defendable total in the one-day fixture.
Openers Ryder Dovern (18) and Nicholas Mcraye (1) started cautiously, laying a foundation that quickly crumbled. Mcraye was the first to fall at 1/4, followed by Dovern at 2/25.
The middle order saw Hamish Hunter contribute a gritty 18 off 54 balls, but the innings lacked the necessary acceleration until the arrival of the Rams’ key pairing: Daniel Dovern and Ethan Schiller.
Daniel Dovern (24 off 33) provided stability, but it was Ethan Schiller who injected vital momentum. Schiller launched a stunning assault on the Hornets’ bowlers, smashing an incredible 35 runs off just 21 balls, an innings punctuated by five massive sixes and a strike rate of 166.66.
His ferocious hitting lifted the Rams from a pedestrian run rate and seemed to put them in control. However, the Harden Hornets’ bowling unit, led by an exceptional spell from Jeff Brown (3/17 off 7 overs), ensured the Rams couldn’t maximise the boost provided by Schiller.
Brown was ruthless, claiming the wickets of Daniel Dovern, Steven Collier, and Christopher Schiller, strangling the scoring just when the Rams looked ready to explode. Beau Bourlet (1/38 off 8) was the only other wicket-taker, while the Abnett brothers, Ethan (1/7 off 4) and Ardy, bowled economically.
Crucially, the Rams lost their final four wickets for just 45 runs, finishing on 9/145 from their allotted 40 overs, a score considered slightly below par on a good batting pitch but certainly defendable.
Hornets’ Collapse and the
Unbreakable Stand
Chasing 146 for victory, the Harden Hornets looked like they wanted to end the match quickly, but this aggressive approach proved to be their near-undoing.
Opener Danny Arabin (19 off 21) set a brisk pace, but the wickets tumbled at alarming speed. Ardy Abnett went at 1/15, and when Danny Arabin and Jeffrey Brown (23 off 23) were dismissed in quick succession, the Hornets found themselves teetering at 3/63.
The turning point that threat-ened to derail the chase came immediately after, with the dismissals of Kai Steele (14 off 38) and Dean Bourlet (8 off 26). Steele and Bourlet had attempted to stabilise the innings but fell to the Rams’ disciplined bowling, leaving the Hornets reeling at a desperate 5/72.
The Bribbaree Rams, buoyed by tight spells from Ryder Dovern (1/22 off 5), Mitchell Schiller (1/9 off 4), and Hamish Hunter (1/21 off 4), had the scent of victory. With nearly half the score still required and the top order back in the pavilion, the match rested entirely on the shoulders of the two remaining established batsmen: Frank Brady and Ethan Abnett.
The Defining Partnership
What followed was a masterclass in controlled aggression and resolute defence. Brady and Abnett formed an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership, systematically dismantling the Rams’ confidence over the next nine overs.
Frank Brady, demonstrating textbook cricket under pressure, rotated the strike efficiently while punishing loose deliveries, striking four boundaries on his way to an invaluable 30 not out off 34 balls (Strike Rate 88.23). His calm demeanour was mirrored by Ethan Abnett, who continued his impressive day after a tight bowling spell, contributing the highest score of the Hornets’ innings, a superb 35 not out from 37 balls (Strike Rate 94.59).
Together, they added 74 runs, seeing off the spinners and forcing the Rams’ captain to return to the faster bowlers, who proved ineffective in breaking the partnership. The final 15 runs were scored with ease, sealing the win with 9.1 overs remaining and confirming the great escape. The Bribbaree Rams will rue their inability to press home the advantage when the Hornets were 5/72, while the Harden Hornets will celebrate a victory built not on flash but on grit, temperament, and an utterly defining partnership from Frank Brady and Ethan Abnett. The win cements the Hornets’ standing in the SWSCL B Grade competition as a team that never knows when it is beaten.
– Tully Potts
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
