After making 8-141 in their first innings, the recently-crowned one-day champions headed into the second day of their clash with Mornington requiring just five more wickets for first innings points.

It took them 20 overs to complete the job, as led by Stan Gaynor (12) and Sam Lumby (13), the Mornington lower order dug in. Their efforts though only delayed the inevitable with Court House bowling them out for 92.

Ben Irwin (4-24) was the chief destroyer with skipper Farran Lamb and Sam Doubleday both chipping in with five wickets.

Leading by 49 runs Court House set about quick runs, but things didn’t quite eventuate as they’d hoped.

Irwin provided a brief injection after drinks hitting Lumby for three lofted cover drives in one over, but his departure triggered a brief collapse.

Ben Haire and Lamb followed in successive balls the first two deliveries of Lumby’s ninth over as they slumped to 5-51 at tea.

Unfortunately for Lumby tea was called with Lamb’s dismissal meaning he had to wait 40 minutes to bowl his hat-trick ball, which went down leg side.

Court House in the end could only manage another 30 or so runs giving them a 134 run lead and about 30 overs to bowl at Mornington.

The runs were realistically never going to be the issue it was the wickets, as proved to be with a dogged Mornington only six down.

Lamb had hoped to bowl them out in their first innings a bit quicker than they did, and likewise score quicker, but still thought they had enough time.

“We had a few chances early on. If we took those we probably would have outrighted them,” he said.

He thought when they got the two openers out they might be able to get on roll and run through them, but that wasn’t the case. 

After impressing with the bat in both innings, top-scoring with 27 in the first and scoring runs again in the second, McIlveen was thrown the ball in the second innings, and bowling his leg-spinners picked up a couple of wickets.

Doubleday also did a good job to give Court House a “second wind”, but Harry Willougby and Justin Carter batted out a tense final 10 overs to ensure they had to settle for first innings points.

With Albion outrighting Kookaburras in the other game, it is near impossible for Court House to catch them with only one round remaining.

Mornington skipper Jason Rose said it was a positive result for his side.

“We did well,” he said.

“I’m proud of the boys. We did everything we possibly could to try and win the game.”

“We bowled well and we battled hard.”

He said they spoke heading out to bowl for Court House’s second innings about trying to slow them down.

“We knew what their intentions were,” he said.

“We spoke about bowling tight lines.”

Lumby was one of their best performers with the ball.

“He has improved his bowling and he knew what his job was and he bowled tight lines,” Rose said.