The weather gods played a major role in round two of the Coalfields Cup cricket competition at the weekend.

After a vicious storm swept across the district on Friday night, first grade matches were abandoned with all the fixtures in “seconds” receiving the go-ahead.

Defending premiers Bellbird did not get it all their own way against Greta-Branxton at Miller Park No. 2, eventually getting the chocolates by three wickets.

The hosts batted first and posted a modest 7-148 from their 40 overs, with Adam Kerry timing the ball nicely with 40.

Patrick Nugent (19), former skipper James Halpin (18) and Wayne Chandler (15) also ticked the scoreboard over.

Brett Pitkin was the pick of the Tiger attack with 4-24 off eight, with Tylar Carter chipping in with 3-25.

In reply, Bellbird opener Joey Millington played a superb knock to carry his bat for 67.

He received good support from Cameron Martin (21), Matt Fairlie (16) and skipper Daniel Attewell (15no).

Greta Branxton captain Jamie Moore kept his team in the game with 4-18 off eight very good overs.

Halpin was also very tidy with the new ball with 2-19.

The Piranhas overcame Valley/JPC by 93 runs at Cook 5 to leave the new joint venture winless after two rounds.

Most of the visiting batsmen made starts, with Brandon Zechel (40), Aaron Zechel (38), Ben Read (35), Gavin Knipe (28), Matt Zechel (17) and Scott Burgess (16) all cashing in on the favourable conditions.

Skipper Chris Howard was the pick of the home side’s attack with 4-30 off eight, with Austin Maher (2-45 off 6) and Kashintha Ambagahawatte (2-15 off 5) picking up a brace of wickets each.

Valley/JPC was all out inside 25 overs for 118.

Maher completed a fine all-round match with an unbeaten 29, with Angus Burden (22) and Ambagahawatte (20) making starts.

Read (3-17), Hayden Farrell (3-20) and Matt Zechel (2-23) kept a lid on things for the Piranhas with the two-piece.

Wine Country made the long trek up to Denman to take on the locals and came away with the points by 14 runs in a tight one.

Switched from the turf of Alan Mills to the nearby No. 2 synthetic ground, the Wood Ducks posted a modest 9-167 from their 40 overs.

Wayne Harris (57) led the way with a well-made half century.

He received good support from Liam Hurst (24), Dave Plumridge (16) and club secretary Stephen Hedger (16).

Kyle Eriksson played pretty much a lone hand with the ball, bagging 6-45 off seven in a fine spell of bowling.

The Devils were a man short in reply, all out for 153 with nine balls to spare.

Eriksson capped off an outstanding all-round game by notching his team high score of 53 to go along with his “six-fa” earlier in the day.

Cameron Saunders (26), Chris Sowter (21) and Jack Mann were the other willowmen to make an impression.

Jacob Edwards (3-23), Hedger (3-26) and Harris (2-20) shared the scalps for the visitors.

Creeks maintained their great start to the season by winning a four-run thriller against PCH at Albion Park.

Relocated from an abandoned Cook 1, they compiled a healthy 6-207 batting first.

Macauley Johnsson blasted an entertaining 65, which included three boundaries and seven maximums, with Chris Unicomb (36), Ganesh Kumar (34), Ash Borg (22) and Warren Gillespie (13no) also scoring freely.

Ethan Bowden was the best of the PCH attack with an expensive 3-52.

PCH came agonisingly close to pulling the game out of the fire but suffered dearly by not seeing out its allotted overs.

They were dismissed on the penultimate ball of the 37th over for 203, with Evan Moss hitting 13 boundaries in a well-timed 70.

Skipper Matt Pearce supported him with 40, with Lyle Banks (23), Luke Meyn (17) and Jed Horder (16no) all keeping the score ticking over.

Mark Unicomb collected 5-40 off eight for Creeks, with Chris Unicomb (2-38) and Chris Butler (2-42) contributing with a couple of scalps each.

• Mark Bercini

Third grade

• Piranhas White 204 (Sam Apthorpe 117, Max Buller 26, Tom Page 15, Adam Morris 4-26 off 5, Jake Street 2-33 off 6) defeated Valley/JPC 142 (Harry Moore 50, Fraser Anderson 15, Cody Rowe 13, Brodie Mayhew 4-17 off 5, Sam Apthorpe 2-9 off 3) at Civic Park
• Hotel Cessnock 9/225 (Matthew Cooper 84, Liam Beckett 67no, Jordan Field 50, Dareen Sutton 5-33 off 8, Tallen Howson 3-41 off 7) defeated Wine Country 77 (Brodey Saunders 25, Dave Crosdale 12, Dave Cooper 3-12 off 4, Noah Cooper 3-14 off 5, Andrew Taylor 2-16 off 4.4) at St. Philips
• Washed out: Bellbird v Glendon at Carmichael 1
• Washed out: Piranhas Blue v Greta-Branxton at East End

Fourth grade

• Hotel Cessnock 3/114 (Karl Capararo 37, Ryan Levin 33, Matt Blake 19no, Jack Walder 13no, Jasper Wright 2-47 off 6) defeated Greta-Branxton 113 (Richard Sundberg 33, Logan Heald 19, Liam Wright 16, Ryan Levin 3-22 off 6, Matt Blake 2-7 off 5.1, Luke Capararo 2-21 off 5) at Miller 3
• Washed out: Bellbird v Denman at Carmichael 2
• Washed out: Wine Country v Supporters at Baddeley 1
• Washed out: Piranhas v Valley/JPC at Turner Park
• Bye: Greta-Branxton Blue

Points tables

• First grade: Greta-Branxton 9, Valley/JPC 9, PCH/Glendon 9, Wine Country 5, Piranhas/Bellbird 5, Creeks 5
• Second grade: Bellbird 12, Creeks 12, Wine Country 12, Denman 8, Piranhas 8, PCH 4, Greta-Branxton 4, Valley/JPC 4
• Third grade: Hotel Cessnock 12, Piranhas Blue 9, Valley/JPC 8, Piranhas White 8, Wine Country 8, Greta-Branxton 5, Bellbird 5, Glendon 3
• Fourth grade: Hotel Cessnock 12, Bellbird 9, Valley/JPC 9, Greta-Branxton White 8, Wine Country 5, Piranhas 5, Supporters 5, Denman 3, Greta-Branxton Blue 2*

* bye received, no points awarded

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