UGSCA 2025-26: Wandering under pressure at the top with Brooks’ second ton making the runs flow for Lake Grace

A fortnight ago Lake Grace had to forfeit after failing to field a side, but 592 runs later they have dispatched Wickepin-Harrismith and Williams to put the pressure on ladder leaders Wandering in the Upper Great Southern Cricket Association A-grade competition.

Last week’s victims Wickepin-Harrismith were put to the sword by Dylan Brooks’ 115 as they ran up a mammoth total of 300.

On Saturday it was Williams’ turn to roll over as Brooks fired another ton and Ben Donahue produced magic with the ball, returning figures of 4-3 in a 224-run victory.

Batting first at home, Lake Grace rattled through the overs with Donahue cracking 79 off 48 balls, Matthew Trevenen adding 26 off 22 and then Brooks taking control with 103 from 85.

Archibald Mason chipped in with 33 before Williams found some joy in the Lake Grace tail, taking the last five wickets at a cost of only three runs.

Michael Foreman, Riley Ford and Steven Ford each took three wickets for Williams but the honours for the innings belonged to Lake Grace and their 292 all out.

Williams’s middle order capitulated with three ducks in a row. Steven Ford’s 19 was the best of their 68 all out as Donahue ran riot.

Wandering still head the ladder, keeping Lake Grace at bay, after beating Towns by 59 runs.

Batting first at home, Lewis Parsons and Blake Egerton-Warburton gave Wandering a decent start, putting on 41 before Egerton-Warburton was lbw for 25.

That proved the biggest partnership of the innings as Towns chipped away at the batting order until Wandering were dismissed for 141.

Towns, however, could not make inroads, as Joshua Brennan took 4-15 and Lewis Parsons 3-23 to remove the visitors for 82.

Jagtar Singh, with 21 and Mitchell Ackland, who was unbeaten on 20, were the most prolific of the Towns’ batters.

In the other match, Cuballing knocked off 91 runs for the loss of one wicket to wallop Wickepin-Harrismith by nine wickets.

Ryan Melvin’s 30 was the best of the Wickepin batters with Dane Angwin (22) also holding his own as they were all out for 90.

Brock Francis took 3-15 for Cuballing while wicketkeeper Rhett Ballard claimed three victims behind the stumps.

In the Cuballing reply, Joe Dowling retired unbeaten on 35 but Kendall Ballard (15 not out) and Francis (12no) carried on the good work.

Andrew Harris was the man out, caught by Fletcher Miller off Mitchell Sermon for 21.

There are two rounds of regular contests to play, with Wanderers leading the table by four points from Lake Grace, Cuballing and Williams who are level on points but split on quotient.

Lake Grace face Cuballing, while Wandering host Williams in a round 11 top-four showdown on February 21.

The top two sides at the end of the regular season will meet on March 7 with the winner heading straight to the grand final on March 21.

The loser will face the winner of the play-off between the third and fourth-placed sides with the second showpiece slot at stake.