Carpenter's right stuff rockets Diggers towards minor title
PLANTATION Diggers is one step closer to the minor premiership following an easy 60 run win over Park Beach Bowling Club Colts.
Second-placed Sawtell had the bye and Diggers' latest victory ensures the two teams have all but given the chasers the slip with one round remaining until the semi finals.
The first bit of good news is ... the weather cooperated for a change and players made it onto Coffs Coast Sports and Leisure Park.
Even better news for Diggers was the continuing stability in the middle order that when looking back over the records has probably been the club's greatest strength this rain-truncated summer.
With top order men Alex Byrne and Steve Meakins dismissed without scoring and run machine Russell Gardner out for two, Colts must have been feeling no pain with their rivals struggling at 3-19.
Instead, the man with the 'right stuff' was Scott Carpenter, the opening batsman with the same name as a famous pioneering astronaut, who steadied the ship with an innings of 46 before being run out.
Middle men Damon Rootes (49) and Gus Garland (40) went close to half centuries and with a late slice of razzle dazzle from Hardeep Bassi (38), the visitors finished their 45 overs at a reasonable 9-224.
For Colts, Matt Francis did best with the ball by taking 3-30 and later with the bat in his hand, ran up a total of 33 to be second top scorer.
In the end, Colts only managed to put 166 runs on the board.
Veteran Terry Baldwin tried a mini-rescue with 38 runs before becoming Bassi's second wicket.
Bassi and Gardner each finished with three wickets but Julian Hulbert's contribution was also invaluable.
Bowling tight to restrict Colts' scoring, Hulbert kept the pressure on and slowed their run rate to a crawl with three maidens in his nine over spell for figures of 1-15.
