Birthday boy Adam Ball strikes again

Birthday boy Adam Ball continued his fine form in the final round of the regular season as he claimed two wickets for Redlands Tigers against Wynnum Manly. Manly won the toss and batted first as Ball took the new ball and bowled opener Mark Gleeson for 1. Sandwich Town batsman and Tigers teammate Marnus Labuschagne ran out fellow opener Prowse before dismissing McDermott for 3 to leave the on 31 for 3. Ball struck again, trapping Trask lbw for 14 to leave the visitors struggling on 62 for four before an unbeaten century from Rabnott made the total respectable. The Kent left-armer, who turns 22 this weekend, finished with figures of two for 68 off 16 overs and Labuschagne took three for 53 off 17 overs. Redlands will resume on 15 without loss on day two in response to Manly’s 259. Tigers sit sixth in the Queensland First Grade two-day table with the top four reaching the play-offs. Kent vice-captain Sam Northeast can help Ball’s side gain a semi-final spot by beating fourth-placed Toombul. The 25-year-old skippered his third-ranked Sunshine Coast side as they restricted their rivals to 323 on day one with Ivan Thomas rested. Kent batsman Brendan Nash scored 38 off 63 balls, batting at number four as Northern Suburbs posted 228. County colleague Daniel Bell-Drummond was dismissed for 12, a rare low score in a prolific winter with the bat. Queensland First Grade games resume next Saturday. In Victoria, Alex Blake scored nine in a 40-over match as North Dandenong lost at Springvale South by five wickets. Tickets to all 2015 fixtures go on sale this Monday (March 2). Log on to www.kentcricket.co.uk from 10am to secure your seat to see both Australia men and women at Canterbury or catch Kent’s return to Beckenham or Tunbridge Wells Festival this July.