Winding back the clock helps led turnaround to start campaign as belief builds

Alex Tucker helped Lake Albert get off to a strong start in the win over St Michaels at Rawlings Park on Saturday. Picture by Bernard Humphreys

A bright start has provided more confidence a big turnaround is on the cards.

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Through the first three weeks of the season, Lake Albert has already doubled its win tally from the whole of last season.

And recorded wins over the premiers in both formats in the process.

Former captain Isaac Cooper led the charge with both bat and ball as Lake Albert proved too strong for St Michaels after setting an imposing 6-309 in the second round of the one-day competition at Rawlings Park on Saturday, October 24.

Cooper top-scored with 83 to help the Bulls to a 44-run victory over the premiers.

It's another step forward after a number of lean seasons for the club.

"I think there's belief in a few of the younger blokes that we can do it and it's just clicked together with the bat in the last couple of weeks," Cooper said.

However batting first this week, Cooper and Alex Tucker were able to set the tone.

Tucker really got things going with his 54 runs coming off 44 balls in a 73-run opening-wicket partnership with Cooper in an innings that featured seven boundaries and two sixes.

Cooper, who finished with eight boundaries and two sixes, thought their contrasting styles helped set a strong platform at the top of the order.

"It was the plan," he said.

"Tuck has always been very attacking so I thought I just had to be that bit of an anchor for everyone else.

"With five out from the week before I thought to myself that I had to dig in to do the best thing for the team."

Cooper is well on his way to surpassing his total of 147 runs from the entirety of last season.

The 37-year-old is pleased by the turnaround.

"Cricket has sort of taken a bit of a back seat so it was good to get some runs," he said.

"They have always been there, it just hasn't really clicked lately so it was good."

Pictures by Bernard Humphreys

Rowan Hoare (31) and Jacson Somerville (27) also provided valuable contributions before Daniel Pratt (28 not out) and Baxter Wallett (21 not out) combined for an unbeaten 43-run partnership late in the innings.

It's part of why Lake Albert hopes this season could be different.

"The middle order has been pretty good the last couple of weeks," Cooper said.

"There's plenty of starts, the young fellas are building confidence and I'm pretty certainly after a couple of starts one or two of them are going to on and get a good score.

"It's pleasing as a club just to see everyone contributing."

Isaac Cooper sets off for a run in a strong display with both bat and ball for Lake Albert on Saturday. Picture by Bernard Humphreys

Cooper also had an impact with the ball, finishing with 3-35 from his 10 overs including the important wicket of Mitch Cawley (50).

"It was tough going with the ball but he held there for a while," Cooper said.

"They got a bit of a hold on us but we managed to drag it back and it was pleasing to get 10 wickets to win the game."

Pratt and Joe Martin both picked up two wickets

The Bulls hope to keep building on another strong performance.

"The club is really keen going forward, putting an emphasis on playing good cricket," Cooper said.

"It's one thing the club is backing - just taking a positive attitude - and it's been really good the last three weeks.

"Two wins out of three the boys are pretty happy."

Lake Albert's confidence will be put to the test when tackling Kooringal Colts, who are unbeaten through three matches to start the season.

LAKE ALBERT 6-309 (I Cooper 83, A Tucker 54, R Hoare 31; D Garness 3-53) d ST MICHAELS 265 (N Fahey 54, M Cawley 50, N Absolum 45; I Cooper 3-35)

Wagga RSL celebrates as Ben Willis takes a catch to dismiss the dangerous Aaron Maxwell to help get off the mark with a win over Wagga City on Saturday. Picture by Bernard Humphreys

Smashing 18 runs from the opening over set Wagga RSL on the path to its first win of the season.

Gage Baxter helped the Bulldogs make light work of the run chase to get off the mark in impressive fashion with an eight-wicket win over Wagga City at Wagga Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Sitting at 0-57 after four overs, Baxter and Braith Gain had the Cats bowling attack under plenty of pressure.

Both hit 10 boundaries and three sixes in a strong display of hitting.

Baxter made 63 runs off 28 balls before being removed in just the eighth over of the clash.

However the damage had already been done.

Captain Will Morley was impressed with his efforts after stepping up from second grade.

"He's had a couple of good starts in the twos so really deserved his chance to come up this week," Morley said.

"He's sort of getting to that stage of his career where he's playing with a bit of free spirit and not too worried about the result but more about the process."

Gain then carried on with things to finish unbeaten on 76 off 50 balls.

It followed on from taking 4-28 to help restrict Wagga City to 190 before being bowled out 36th over.

Morley was pleased to see the teenager excel.

"He's coming from a shoulder injury so it was good to see him able to bowl some overs for us," he said.

"Four-fa and 80 odd is a pretty good all-round performance from him."

RSL could not have got off to a better start with in-form Cats captain Vaughn Jenkins dismissed by Ben Willis four balls into the clash without scoring.

Willis had his second soon after before taking a catch to remove the dangerous Aaron Maxwell for 85 off the bowling of Hayden Cook, who finished with three wickets.

Coming off losses to Kooringal Colts and South Wagga in the opening two weeks of the season, Morley was pleased with the response.

"We were pretty good on the weekend and I think we may have been a little bit rusty just because of footy commitments and stuff like that," he said.

"It's probably taken us a couple of weeks to get into it as we probably all didn't have the best pre-season so it was good to get a roll on on the weekend.

"Hopefully we can continue it."

However with the Twenty20 and one-day competitions separate this season, the Bulldogs are one of four teams level with one win each.

"We needed to get the season off to a good start and getting 3-0 would not have really been an option," Morley said.

"It was a massive opportunity for us to come away with a good win and just remind people even though we lost our first two games we can still be a threat.

"To win in that fashion was pretty good and we knew them having a younger side they could be a bit of an X factor but if we put enough pressure on them for long enough we could probably do the job."

Wagga RSL now has St Michaels, who are yet to get off the mark in the one-day competition, as its next target while Wagga City tackles South Wagga.

WAGGA RSL 2-191 (B Gain 76*, G Baxter 63) d WAGGA CITY 190 (A Maxwell 85, R Spencer 29; B Gain 4-28, H Cook 3-31)

Kooringal Colts captain Josh Staines unsuccessfully tries to stump James Smallwoods on Saturday. Picture by Bernard Humphreys

An unbeaten start to the season extended after coming through its biggest test yet with flying colours.

Captain Josh Staines played an important role as Kooringal Colts made it three wins from as many matches after defying South Wagga at Robertson Oval on Saturday.

Coming off a century, Staines finished unbeaten on 83 to guide his side to a three-wicket win.

It wasn't without a late fright, after losing 4-18, but Colts were able to capitalise on a strong bowling effort after dismissing the Blues for 194.

Coach Nate Mooney hopes it can be a real learning experience for the side.

"Obviously you'd take the points but we're not nave to the fact we've got some work to do," Mooney said.

"A couple of senior players did not go on with the job and left it to the bottom end of our batting group which we don't see is good enough.

"Obviously Stainesy stayed at the crease for a long time and did his job as captain, which is nice to see two weeks in a row that's for sure."

Staines and Mooney (40) looked to have the run chase in control despite losing two early wickets.

However when Andrew Dutton (31) became James Taylor's third victim, Colts wobbled before Staines and Eden Breust (12 not out) were able to steady things to score victory.

South Wagga had a similar scoreboard with Joel Robinson, who finished unbeaten on 59, and Alex Smeeth (56) the only Blues batsmen to score more than 15 runs.

However, despite putting themselves in the hunt late, South Wagga could not find the big breakthrough needed as the Colts got home with nine overs to spare.

Mooney was impressed with how his attack executed in the field after he took two key wickets before Josh Carmody and Tyrn Docking both finished with three dismissals.

"At the start of the day we were told we were going to be bowling first and they would be out for under 200 we would be really happy with it," he said.

"We've been really good in the field and hold ourselves to high standards and there were a couple of little slips early and probably the task of taking on a South Wagga side got to us a little bit but blokes like Josh Carmody and Robert Buik with the ball were really, really good and TJ Docking came on and played a role later in the innings when the pitch took to spin.

"It was another really strong bowling and fielding performance and it's pleasing to bowl a side out like South Wagga for sure."

However despite wins over last year's grand finalists in successive weeks, they do not want to get too far ahead of themselves.

"We spoke about it last week that it is good to get wins on the board early but it's a long season so we can only improve every week and take it as it comes," Mooney said.

KOORINGAL COLTS 7-195 (J Staines 83*, N Mooney 40, A Dutton 31; J Taylor 3-18) d SOUTH WAGGA 194 (J Robinson 59*, A Smeeth 56; J Carmody 3-27, T Docking 3-36)

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