The Dimboola-Blackheath cricketers took to the field for the first time in 2018 when they hosted the Jung Tigers at the Park on Saturday afternoon in the last of the one day games for 2017/18.

The first game scheduled for the new year was to have been played last weekend but inclement weather forced the whole round to be abandoned.

Dimboola-Blackheath 8/174 (E Braithwaite 54*, S Polack 39, H Young 31) lost to Jung Tigers 2/184 (E Braithwaite 2/13)

Taking the opportunity to bat first the locals set a challenging target when they posted 174 for the loss of 8 wickets off their 45 overs.

After the loss of a couple of early wickets the innings was consolidated through some solid batting in the middle order and some big hitting in the late overs took their total past 150 for only the third time this season.

Harry Young anchored the innings early and had made 31 when he was the third batsman dismissed and then Sam Polack assumed that role and scored 39 which set the foundation for the later batsmen.

An unbeaten eighth wicket stand of 48 runs off just five overs between Elliot Braithwaite (above) and Greg O'Connor was the highlight of the innings.

Braithwaite dominated with 54 not out which included three 6s and four 4s whilst O'Connor finished with 10 not out.

Hamish Exell (15) and Heath Mibus (14) also made significant contributions through the middle overs.

Braithwaite continued his good form when he opened the bowling and dismissed both of the Jung Tigers' openers with their score on 19.

Unfortunately that was the extent of the success for the Dimboola-Blackheath bowlers as the Jung Tigers enjoyed a 163 run third wicket partnership to take them past their target.

Braithwaite finished with a miserly 2 for 13 off 6 overs.

Next week Dimboola-Blackheath will host Laharum for the first day of a two day encounter.