Bowling: Ajmer Singh (3/12), Will Costigan (1 r/o, 1 stumping)

Batting: Noah Doyle 51*, Will Costigan 25, Lachlan Poole 24*

Player of the match: Ajmer Singh

A fitting Marist derby before the summer break, played with great character. We knew it was going to be a tough day, with Marist Light’s recent performances marking them as strong title contenders.

Navy won the toss and elected to field, hoping to take early wickets on a lively surface. The Light openers came out firing, putting on quick runs at the top. A sharp run-out from Kalum Palmer in the sixth over gave Navy some much-needed momentum, and the remaining seven wickets were taken steadily from there, with the final wicket falling on the first ball of the 30th over.

A highlight with the ball came from Ajmer Singh, a late call-up who filled in superbly and finished with three important wickets.

Navy then faced a challenging chase after Light posted an imposing total of 204. After a nervous start, the middle order rallied and began to build steady partnerships. Congratulations to Noah Doyle on another fine half-century, well supported by Will Costigan (25) and Lachie Poole (24*).

Unfortunately, this was not Navy’s day. While Marist Light struggled to find that stubborn eighth wicket, Navy fell short of the total, finishing on 161.

Marist Navy can head into the season break with their heads held high after some superb performances in the opening part of the season.