Cricket: Top-placed Gracemere fall to Cap Coast

THE last round of the Capricorn Challenge threw up some surprise results. None more than the boilover at the Rockhampton Cricket Grounds on Saturday when top-placed Gracemere fell to the Capricorn Coast.

Coming into the match, Cap Coast were in fifth position, but their last round victory over the frontrunners catapulted them into a top four position.

Despite the loss, Gracemere are equal top with The Glen and will fight out the final next week.

But Gracemere's skipper knows they will have to play a lot better than they did on Saturday to overcome The Glen, a side chock full of Gladstone representative cricketers.

"We were complacent," Aaron Harmsworth lamented. "But take nothing away from Cap Coast. Their skipper Mark Wigginton and his son Josh have done well to build a competitive team and a good culture. And they were too good for us on the day."

Gracemere won the toss and elected to bat, on a wicket which kept low. Gracemere normally post a score around 200 off the 40 overs reasonably comfortably, but they looked anything but comfortable trying to post that score.

After 40 overs they were 9-149.

"The pitch played low but that is no excuse," Harmsworth said.

"But three run outs didn't help us and we were also guilty of poor shot selection. Again, there was a bit of complacency about our innings.

"I'm pretty happy with a score of 180-plus, which is defendable so 149 wasn't too bad."

But defending the score below 150 was made more difficult when Gracemere started grassing straight forward catches.

"Our fielding was poor, it let us down," Harmsworth conceded.

"We dropped too may easy catches."

In reply, Cap Coast only required 37 overs to get the job done, with five wickets in hand, running out winners 5-150.

Capricorn Challenge Rd 7

Cap Coast 5-150 (37) def Gracemere 9-149 (40)

Capricorn Challenge

Gracemere 23pts

The Glen 23 pts

Frenchville 17pts

Cap Coast 12pts

Gladstone Bros 10pts

Yaralla 2pts

Rocky Bros 5pts