MOREE and District Cricket Association slammed into round one of the local Twenty20 competition on Saturday, with Moree Golfies’ Mathew Lather whacking the ball all over Ron Harborne Oval in an impressive display.

Lather single-handedly walloped Yarraman Yabbies with an unbeaten 152 off 66 balls, including nine sixes and 18 fours at a strike rate of 230.

Golfies’ opening batsman Jeff Annis-Brown supplied a superb support act.

Annis-Brown scored 50 runs off 39 balls, including three fours and three sixes, while fellow opener Kobe Russell was bowled first ball by Kobi Annis-Brown.

Club president Grady Sinclair said Matthew O’Donnell was also a good partner for star-of-the-show Lather.

“Matt scored an unbeaten 30 from 14 balls, with three fours and two sixes – a good effort,” Sinclair said.

Kobi Annis-Brown and Rayma Honour took one wicket each, with the Golfies finishing 20 overs on 2/241.

Yarraman Yabbies faced an herculean task, chasing 242 runs to win.

Moree Golfies’ Mathew Lather single-handedly walloped Yarraman Yabbies with an unbeaten 152 off 66 balls, including nine sixes and 18 fours at a strike rate of 230.

“Locky Warrener, Kobi Annis-Brown and Josh Rigby scored 20-plus runs each but none could go on to make a score,” Sinclair said.

Sam Dunlop scored an unbeaten 37 not-out but ran out of time and partners.

Playing on the synthetic wicket, Yabbies finished 9/136, with Golfies best bowlers being Zac Chirgwin with 3/19 off three overs and Finlay Philp with 2/16 off two overs.

Over on the turf wicket, Camurra Crows were too strong for Moree Thunder, thanks to a strong partnership between Ben Legg and Grady Sinclair.

After losing the toss, Crows went into bat and were 6/50 when the late order of Legg and Sinclair were at the crease.

The partnership lifted the Crows to 140, with Legg dismissed with 39 off 33 balls.

Sinclair finished not-out on 51 off 33 balls. Next best was Joe Ticehurst with 27 runs off 21 balls.

Moree Thunder’s best bowlers were Ravishanka Hewawasamge with 3/22 off four overs and James Smith with 2/17 off three overs.

Camurra Crows left the crease with a steady 8/152 and only bad luck and injury stood in the way of a Moree Thunder win.

Thunder came in to bat, chasing 153 and the early partnership of Darrel ‘Dipper’ Smith and Harry Singh helped Thunder look likely.

However, Smith retired injured after 26 runs off 27 balls, with Singh hitting 40 runs off 31 balls.

The Crows then forced a batting collapse and were on top for the rest of the game.

Crows’ best bowlers were Harry Woods with 4/23 off four overs and Grady Sinclair with 2/2 off three overs, dismissing Thunder for 106 and winning by 46 runs.