Sport
9 January, 2026
A reserve prepares to get back underway
With second and sixth separated by just six points, the MDCA A reserve has now turned into a nine-round sprint for the coveted four finals places.
With an unblemished 7-0 record, the returning Avoca Bulldogs are currently clear favourites to compete for the premiership in March. Still, there certainly isn’t a shortage of challengers alongside them.
Chief among them is two-time reigning premiers Clunes, who won four of their last five games before the Christmas break.
Led by Muhammad Haseeb Khan’s 18 wickets with a barely believable average of 3.44, MKM’s bowling attack has rocketed them into third, while Maryborough are level on points with their nearby neighbours despite three washouts.
Last season’s runners-up, Colts Phelans, and Beaufort Red are barely on the outside looking in at the top four, with Carisbrook, Beaufort Blue and Laanecoorie Dunolly needing a late-season surge to join the finals race.
With Laanecoorie Dunolly forced to wait an extra week to return due to their round 10 bye, the top eight teams will battle it out this weekend, with several fixtures destined to factor the top four.
Clunes vs MKM
Just six weeks after Clunes’ narrow victory against MKM at Ron Sinclair Oval, these two teams will once again do battle with ever more at stake.
Runs are not a guarantee for either side on Saturday, as the Mill and the Magpies both possess very potent bowling attacks that have routinely ripped up opposing lineups.
MDCA A reserve leading wicket-taker Khan has been well supported by the likes of Tristan Tack, Joshua O’Connor and Tibin Michael, allowing MKM to sit second in wickets taken with 57.
Clunes aren’t far behind with 54 breakthroughs this season, spear-headed by a combined 23 wickets from Paul Coon and Adam Clark. Charlie Erickson has also been magical with the ball on occasion, taking nine wickets with a jaw-dropping average of 2.22.
A sublime half-century from opener Mark Jenkin, which included eight fours and two sixes, was the catalyst for the Magpies’ victory over MKM back in round six.
Beaufort Red vs Colts Phelans
Either Beaufort Red or Colts Phelans will provide a massive boost to their top four credentials when they face off this Saturday.
Despite being level on points with MKM and Maryborough, the Colts currently sit in fifth on 27 points with the sixth-placed Beaufort Red three points behind following their statement win over Clunes just before the festive break.
If you like runs, then the Colts have been the team for you in A reserve, scoring a remarkable 1152 runs in the first half of the season, nearly 200 runs more than ladder-leaders Avoca.
On the contrary, the majority of Beaufort Red’s success this season has come with the ball, most notably in round four when they castled Laanecoorie Dunolly for 30.
The last meeting between these teams could colloquially be called the Hunter Kurzke game, with his 44 and four wickets headlining a thrilling match the Colts won by eight runs.
Avoca vs Carisbrook
Avoca hopes to maintain its undefeated return to senior cricket when it hosts a dangerous Carisbrook team.
Despite the 30-point gap between the two sides, the Bulldogs will ensure not to take Carisbrook lightly after they delivered a substantial challenge in their earlier meeting this season.
An unbeaten 70 from James Collicoat rescued Avoca to 154 before three-wicket hauls from Cameron Holland and Tyson Gray helped bowl Carisbrook for 125 despite Jarryd Coghlan finishing not out on 47.
Coghlan will once again be the key wicket for Avoca to claim, with the Carisbrook captain currently third in the competition’s run-scoring charts with 185 runs.
The Bulldogs certainly have a richness in artillery to dispose of Coghlan and the rest of Carisbrook’s lineup, with Collicoat, Gray and Glen Cosgriff all in the top five wicket-takers with a combined 44 breakthroughs.
Maryborough vs Beaufort Blue
Beaufort Blue will hope to maintain the strong form they found just before the mid-season recess against finals contender Mary-borough.
In their limited five game sample size, Maryborough has so far proven to be a formidable foe, but has on occasion has relied on some exceptional individual performances during the first half of the season.
Ben Robertson has anchored the Owls’ batting lineup as the competition’s leading run-scorer with a stunning average of 72.62, while Paul Jardine is the only Maryborough bowler to take more than three wickets with 11.
Another player who was outstanding during the first half was Beaufort Blue’s danger man, Adam Miller, leading the team with 149 runs and only behind Ben Woolidge in wickets with seven.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams after their round six encounter was washed out.