Sports Reports: Mannum wins Murray Towns cricket’s A grade premiership for 2022

This post includes contributions from the Murray Towns Cricket Association, St Kilda Football Club, MMS Media, Murray Bridge Golf Club and Heather Richards.

Murray Towns cricket results

A grade: Mannum 6/144 (J Krollig 50) defeated Mypolonga 142

A2 grade: Karoonda 1/165 (C Ballard 67*, Cr Cox 64*) defeated Meningie 6/163 (K Mason 67*, CJ Reid 50)

B grade: Mypolonga 8/156 (M O’Born 83*) defeated Mannum 80

C grade: Mypolonga 178 (B Lambe 51) defeated Imperials 88

Under 15: Tailem Bend 136 defeated Monarto 85

Jarrod Lienert earns a go with St Kilda

Murray Bridge’s Jarrod Lienert has officially been added to St Kilda’s rookie list on the penultimate day of the Australian Football League’s pre-season supplemental selection period.

The former Port Adelaide defender first arrived at RSEA Park in mid-February, taking part in last month’s intra-club and official practice match against Carlton before earning the Saints’ one remaining list spot.

Lienert, 27, played 20 senior games for Port Adelaide after joining the club with pick number 42 at the 2017 rookie draft.

He will wear the number 31 in red, white and black.

• Read more: www.saints.com.au.

Ryan Jones becomes last man standing in sprintcar event

The final round of the Murray Bridge Speedway Sprintcar Track Championship proved to be a torrid event on Saturday night, with only seven of the 16 starters making it to the chequered flag.

The night was plagued with mechanical issues, controversial decisions and several crashes, but when the 30 laps were done, local racer Ryan Jones crossed the line first ahead of Daniel Pestka and Luke Dillon.

After trailing early race leader David Murcott, Jones took the lead when Murcott rolled in turn four after being caught up with the slower car of Ricky Maiolo, who had hit the wall.

Jones was also involved in the crash, but was able to restart at the front of the field with a damaged front wing.

“I don’t think I have won a 410 race here for a couple of years … so it’s good to finally get that off my back,” he said after the race.

“When I crashed into Dave (Murcott), I was really worried for him because of where I hit the cage, so I glad to find out he was okay.”

He thanked his support team for the work they put in both on the night and during the week leading up to the event – “they have been instrumental in my sprintcar career, so it’s great to repay them with a win at a track that they have thrown so much support behind”.

Jones wasn’t the only podium finisher who was involved in a racing incident, as both Pestka and Dillon also had their dramas.

Dillon’s issues started before the yellow lights went out; Lisa Walker spun in turn four before the cars formed up and he making contact with her #S4, ripping out the tail tank and ending her race before it began.

Dillon dropped from pole to the back of the field, and was then involved with Brendan Quinn in the same part of the race track on lap 20, so the fact that he managed to finish third was an outstanding result.

Pestka was also involved in a controversial moment as he tried a huge slider on Brad Keller in turn three as they battled for third; his #27 jumped over the left front of Keller’s Maxim, forcing a premature end to Keller’s season.

Pestka completed a full spin but was able to keep the car running and restarted from position three, behind Jones and Joel Heinrich.

While this was going on, Max Vidau ran out of fuel.

The final 10 laps were run with only seven cars left on the track, with Heinrich falling into fourth with two laps to go and Victorian Todd Moule, Broken Hill’s Stacey Galliford and Mike Fox being the only other finishers.

Matt Egel, who was debuting a new car, had teething issues with his new Cool all night, which included breaking the throttle linkage in his opening heat; he retired early in the A-main due to a rear bar failure.

Meanwhile, after starting off of the third row for the 60-lap wingless sprint feature event, Daniel Storer was able to chase down early race leader Joel Heinrich and finish ahead of Luke Storer.

• Read more: www.murraybridgespeedway.com.

‘Love god’ Mark Sappenberghs wins on the golf course

Born with Dutch bloodlines but with looks more akin to a Greek Adonis, Mark Sappenberghs won Saturday’s stroke round at Murray Bridge Golf Club with an impressive nett 67.

Not exactly renowned for being quiet at the best of times, often clean shaven at the start of his round, yet with a full set of whiskers by the end of it, the deceptively long-hitting Sappsy put together an excellent round, barring one hole.

Monstering a 270-metre drive on the par-five eighth, he was left with a six-iron to the green, which he struck sweetly; but his ball just caught the top of the green-side bunker and settled awkwardly in a hard, sandless position.

Then, blading his bunker shot 80m over the green, he battled to get down for a double-bogey seven.

It’s a fine line, this game, but in the end he was still good enough to win a three-way countback and take the day’s honours.

Well done Sappsy – not just a superstar tennis player.

• Read more: murraybridgegolfclub.com.au.

Tennis players have a friendly hit

Senior tennis players had a day’s competition by invitation at the Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge lawn courts on Sunday.

Winners were the Fleurieu’s John Buckley and Claire Fullar and locals Bob Hancock and Heather Richards.

The courts are open to anyone interested in playing casual doubles matches at 1pm each Saturday.

Email your sports reports to peri@murraybridge.news or call 0419 827 124.

You can help keep local stories like this one free for everyone to read. Subscribe to Murray Bridge News today and support your independent, locally owned news service, plus get access to exclusive stories you won’t find anywhere else, from just $5 a month.