COWARAMUP scored two thrilling victories from two games to race to the lead in the B-grade competition when the opening round of the Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association's T20 competition was held on Saturday.
With Thursday and Friday's rain resulting in all A-grade games being washed out for the weekend, the focus switched to the B- and C-grade competitions.
Richard Bramston was the star for Cowaramup, scoring 32 in the team's winning total of 7-114 against Vasse, and then taking 5-26 in Cowaramup's last-ball win against St Marys.
YOBS scored the highest B-grade total on Saturday when they notched 128 against Margaret River Hawks, who responded with 111. Tait Spowart's 38 and Ethan Piggott's 4-16 were instrumental in YOBS' victory.
St Marys started on a strong note when they overcame Dunsborough's total of 9-78 from 20 overs with three overs to spare, Ryan Lohr hitting 32 and skipper Pete Grygorcewicz snaring great figures of 4-7 for the victors.
Margaret River Hawks, after losing their opening game to YOBS, rebounded to beat Dunsborough. Kurt Thompson hit an unbeaten 29 in Hawks' winning total of 8-101. Trent Matthews continued his strong wicket-taking form for Hawks with a bag of 4-15.
In the C-grade T20 competition, an unbeaten 94-run partnership between Pieter Bresser (49 not out) and Ben Lullfitz (41no) saw Nannup overcome the new Busselton All Stars in their first game. Great figures of 4-14 from Adrian Brown helped Margaret River Hawks account for Nannup in the opening game at the Margaret River ground. Hawks are the only side with two wins from two games in C-grade, thanks to Cowaramup forfeiting both their games on the opening day. Dunsborough smashed YOBS for 59 in their encounter, Jordan Clohessy taking four wickets and Shamus Henry 2-0 off two overs. St Marys held off Vasse by 16 runs in the other game.
B-grade: YOBS 128 (20 overs) (T. Spowart 38, L. Wedderburn 22, T. Payne 21, J. Stanbury 3-9, A. Wilkie 2-21, T. Matthews 2-24) b MR Hawks 111 (20 overs) (D. Holmes 29, J. Shinnick 19, J. Stanbury 18no, E. Piggott 4-16, L. Gray 2-2, J. Trewren 2-24). St Marys 4-79 (17 overs) (R. Lohr 32, A. Leaney 17no, M. Vogelsanger 2-9, S. Edwards 2-10) b Dunsborough 9-78 (20 overs) (S. Edwards 18, P. Grygorcewicz 4-7, B. Mattock 2-18). Cowaramup 7-114 (19.5 overs) (R. Bramston 32, J. Curtis 19, S. Madhusudan 2-19) b Vasse 5-110 (20 overs) (D. Horncastle 43no, S. Madhusudan 19, J. Curtis 2-11, T. Coulson 1-11). Cowaramup 4-104 (20 overs) (R. Coates 26no, A. Coates 26, A. Cooke 17no, D. Tomlinson 2-10, K. Rice 2-30) b St Marys 103 (17.4 overs) (R. Lohr 27, M. Ford 19, R. Bramston 5-26). MR Hawks 8-101 (20 overs) (K. Thompson 29no, T. Warnke 23, M. Cooper 2-22) b Dunsborough 76 (S. Edwards 19, C. Morris 18, T. Matthews 4-15, T. Warnke 2-3). Vasse 6-142 (20 overs) (J. Albury 38, S. Shepherd 21, O. Carlyle 20, J. Taylor 4-16, C. Jones 1-17) b YOBS 3-107 (20 overs) (J. Gilbert 30no, C. Jones 26, E. Piggott 21, A. Logan 20no, S. Young 1-15). C-grade: MR Hawks 2-96 (15.3 overs) (D. Weston 60no, T. Rasmussen 1-8 off 4 overs) b Nannup 8-94 (20 overs) (L. Guthridge 28, P. Bresser 27, A. Brown 4-14, J. Lawrance 2-16). Bsn All Stars b Cowaramup on forfeit. Dunsborough 2-61 (13.1 overs) (B. Siney 30no, D. Cameron 1-6 off 3 overs) b YOBS 59 (15.5 overs) (C. Brook 26, J. Clohessy 4-13, S. Henry 2-0 off 2 overs). MR Hawks b Cowaramup on forfeit. Nannup 1-114 (20 overs) (P. Bresser 49no, B. Lullfitz 41) b Bsn All Stars 89 (17 overs) (N. Thompson 3-7, J. Mills 3-18). St Marys 3-109 (20 overs) (J. Marwick 54, B. Taylor 31) b Vasse 9-93 (20 overs) (S. Price 18, M. Cooper 2-15, B. Zahra 2-20, A. La Mancusa 2-23).