THE Country XI's second match in the WACA One Day League competition saw it host Gosnells at Peelwood Reserve, Halls Heads, Mandurah last Sunday.
The country team made four changes to its line-up bringing in Mitch Green, Jamie Lee, Chris Phelps and Justin Woods to replace Matt Fink, Clayton Caltsounis, Corey Fitt and Nathan Dovey.
Country XI captain Rodney Ford won the toss and decided to bat first.
Openers Tim Cooper and Mitch Green got the Country XI away to a steady start against Gosnells' opening bowlers Brett Bayley and Anthony Caddy who had to work hard on a flat lifeless pitch.
The first wicket fell in the 11th over with Gosnells left arm paceman Bayley having Mitch Green caught behind for 13 runs with the Country XI score at 35.
Recalled top order left hand batsman Justin Woods came to the crease and together with Tim Cooper took the score to 61 runs in the 18th over before Cooper was adjudged LBW to Gosnells first change bowler Shane Terace for 27 with Woods on 12 with Tom Buchanan next to the crease.
Gosnells introduced slow left arm bowler Darcy Short to the attack in the 21st over, who made an immediate impact by removing Woods with his fourth delivery having him stumped by wicketkeeper Craig Jensen without adding to his score.
With the Country XI needing a significant partnership to post a competitive total, Jamie Lee made his way to the wicket.
Tom Buchanan fell to the spin of Short in the 23rd over, being caught by Gosnells captain Anthony Caddy for eight with Lee, on two runs, being joined in the middle by Country XI captain Rodney Ford.
Lee was adjudged LBW to Shane Terace in the next over for three with the Country XI in desperate trouble at 5/76.
Rodney Ford was joined by Country XI wicketkeeper Paul Jones.
Ford was lured by Short to try to hit him over the mid-wicket boundary but was caught by Baden Norwood who was lurking in the deep, departing with only three runs against his name and the Country XI 6/82.
With Jones joined at the crease by Rod Shemeld the Country XI were able to defy the Gosnells attack for four overs adding 15 runs to the scoreboard before Shemeld was out LBW to Gosnells paceman Caddy for three runs bringing Chris Phelps to the wicket.
A maiden over from Short kept the Country XI score stuck on 99 after 33 overs before Caddy struck with the third ball of the 34th over removing Jones for 16 caught behind. Hayden Burling faced only one ball bowled for no score from the last delivery of Caddy's over.
Phelps was joined by tailender Matt Gordon.
Phelps added another five runs to the Country XI score before Gordon was bowled by Short for no score and the Country XI was bundled out for 107 with the third ball of the 37th over.
Darcy Short finished with 4/16 off 8.3 overs with Gosnells captain Caddy returning the figures of 3/25 from 8 overs.
Gosnells, keen to have an early finish, opened with Darcy Short and Alastair Turner.
Short showed his intentions taking five runs from Country XI opening pace bowler Matt Gordon's first over.
Fellow opening bowler Hayden Burling conceded 10 runs in his first over with Gosnells having 16 runs on the board after two overs.
The third over saw Gosnells take eight more runs from Gordon to be 0/24.
Burling's second over reined the Gosnells batsman in with only three runs scored.
A risky single in the fourth over saw Gosnells lose its first wicket with Alistair Turner run out by Mitch Green with the score at 29.
Short was joined at the wicket by Michael Bailey who together took the score to 45 before Darcy Short, pushing the pace, was caught by Justin Woods off the bowling of Matt Gordon, bringing Baden Norwood to the wicket.
Country XI captain Rodney Ford came into the attack in the 13th over replacing Burling who had conceded 22 runs in four overs.
Norwood and Bailey stretched the score to 75 before Bailey was out stumped by Country XI wicketkeeper Jones who had him caught out of his ground from a ball that ricocheted off Jones' pads back onto the stumps, from the bowling of Ford.
Matt Goes sojourn at the crease was extremely brief feathering an edge to the country keeper off the bowling of Ford who had picked up two wickets with consecutive deliveries.
Incoming batsman Craig Jensen and Norwood took the score to 95 in the 20th over before Country XI left arm spinner Chris Phelps who had been brought into the attack in the 18th over had Jensen caught by Ford for six runs in the 20th over.
Hayden Burling picked up Baden Norwood in the next over for 30 runs with Gosnells needing 10 runs for victory.
Matt Leipold and Gosnells captain Anthony Caddy saw their team over the line with Leipold sending Phelps to the boundary to achieve victory in 24 overs and the final score 6/111.
Ford was the Country XI's only multiple wicket taker returning 2/26.
The Country XI were unwittingly caught in the Qantas shutdown with Darcy Short, who took four wickets and made 22 runs for Gosnells, due to fly to Sydney with the West Australian Futures squad on Sunday morning for a match against New South Wales, a late inclusion to the Gosnells team.
The Country XI's next match will be against Mt Lawley at Breckler Park, Mt Lawley, on Sunday, November 13, starting at 10.15am.
