Fitt’s innings gives Settlers the blues

Marist opener Corey Fitt scored a magnificent 95 to lead the Blues to a thrilling seven-run win against Dalyellup Beach on Saturday.

Dalyellup College was Fitt’s domain for the day, with his 120-ball knock the main factor in the Blues setting the Settlers 213 for victory.

After the early departure of his opening partner Lee Sorfleet, Fitt broke a lean season with a sparkling knock, sharing a second wicket stand of 121 with Tyler Mcgladdery (56).

After a handy cameo by stand-in skipper Matt Anderson, the Blues ended their 50 overs on 7/214.

A shaky Settlers start of 3/67, courtesy of wickets by Blues’ bowlers Alan Utterson, Chris Laker and Ben Shipley, was settled by Adam Bilston (41) and wicketkeeper Paul Jones (40), who nearly doubled Dalyellup’s total with a 59-run fourth wicket partnership.

But when three wickets fell with the score in the 120s, the Settlers were put on the back foot.

A set of starts provided some solid runs down the list and the Settlers crept closer and closer to Marist’s target, until the 60-run partnership between Jones and Liam Renton (27) was ended by a run out of the latter.

This paved the way for Mcgladdery to mop up the tail to help his team start their climb back up the BDCA ladder and a chance of returning to the finals.