BANKSTOWN were out to make amends for their narrow loss to the Dolphins last week and they certainly did – taking first innings points which they are hoping to turn into an outright win and 10 valuable points.
The Bankstown Sports Bulldogs took the field and haunted the Ghosts despite the cauldron which was Memorial Oval. The visitors never came to terms with the barking Bulldogs and capitulated for a paltry 132.
In reply, Bankstown cruised to 6-194 whereupon skipper Solway declared hoping to get one or two wickets before stumps, but his quicks excelled themselves again with the Ghosts 3-25. Over the years, Bankstown have had some superb paceman and this season is no exception.
Aaron Bird, the ‘Taree Tearaway’, is mentor to the young pacemen and they could not have a better person in the role.
Liam Marshall and Brad Simpson taunted and haunted the Ghosts and wickets fell regularly. The pair peppered the batsmen with awkward lifting deliveries and the visitors just had no answer.
Marshall made the incisive breakthrough, then Simpson took 3-42 as the Ghosts disappeared back to the pavilion.
However, the best figures belonged to left arm spinner Ben Taylor flighting the ball wonderfully well and using all his guile and craftiness. His 5-28 from 18 overs was testimony to his ability, with the whole bowling unit on the rampage. Zeeshaan Ahmed held the top order together with a delightful 42 while Nick Carruthers was run out for a sparkling 35, hammering six well timed boundaries and a super six in his delightful cameo.
Top score for the Bulldogs was the leviathan run getter Jake Cormack with 64 plundering 8 boundaries and an eye catching six.
Cormack is on a run spree at the moment and only faced 67 balls in his devastating knock. Taylor was having a real day out and hit 2 sixes in his entertaining 33. One six was a towering straight hit which soared high over the fence.
In the Ghosts 2nd innings, the pacemen did the damage with Marshall 2-13 and Simpson 1-12.
The former bowled a brute of a delivery which lifted sharply, and Ahmed held a smart catch around the corner. Simpson bowled another beauty which the batsman attempted to fend off but just guided through to the keeper.
