Highlands have strengthened their season with the introduction of some younger players, and the likes of Gary Whitaker and Ian Bradburn in particular have made them very competitive after several seasons of losing to the Canberrans.

Highlands won the toss and fielded on the Neil Bulger Oval in Queanbeyan, with the match split into two 20-over sessions per team that took into account the hot weather, which became increasingly oppressive in the afternoon.

Highlands gained an early breakthrough with the unfortunate and somewhat comical run out of talented opener Asoka Wiijeratne in the fourth over, when both batsmen found themselves at the same end.

Wayne Pash was finding it difficult to score from Rod Watling and John Morris when he was joined by David Mankey, who was more subdued than usual.

Paul Cullen continued the tight bowling but it was Allan Drummond, who gained the next breakthrough when he had Mankey absolutely LBW for 23 in the fifth over.

Pash was joined by skipper and Australian Over 60s captain, the accomplished Murray Harrison, and these two comfortably took the score to 63 at the 20 over break.

On resumption Highlands openers Drummond and Bradburn both looked solid against good bowling from Bowden and Foley, but after Drummond was bowled when Harrison came into the attack, Bradburn and Whitaker started to dominate.

Harrison was still hard to get away, but the Highlands big guns really went on the attack at the other end.

Jimmy Martin usually finds a length but he had 13 from his second over and Mankey was given similar treatment when he came on.

Unfortunately Bradburn’s hamstring strain forced his retirement when he had made 30. But there was no respite for ACT when skipper Peter Jensen came to the crease, and he and Whitaker took Highlands to 1 for 87 at lunch.

Facing a deficit of 24, ACT were aware that they needed to up the ante at the back end of their innings.

Harrison showed those intentions with a flurry of fours to hasten his retirement at 35.

Ray Sharman, first match back from a spell, like any good harness racer, was soon into stride and bowling his left-arm tweakers with guile.

He had Foley spectacularly caught by Jensen then Pash stumped by Chris Ford for 33, before Wayne Lucerne misread the grassy strip and got an edge into his eyebrow to unfortunately retire hurt.

The dangerous Martin was bowled by John Lindsay when attempting an ambitious slog, to leave ACT 5 for 120 and, although Ron Bates and Andy Turner provided solid resistance, the score never accelerated sufficiently, and at 40 overs the home side finished at 7 for 149.

Sharman and Lindsay each grabbed two wickets, while Peter Noble bowled the final over as the 10th bowler used to grab 1 for 1.

Highlands resumed their innings needing another 64 runs from 20 overs and they did it in a canter, with ACT looking tired in the field and no bowler other than Harrison able to bowl a containing line.

Both Jensen and Whitaker made hard-hitting retirement scores of 35, the skipper’s coming off only 27 balls and including six fours.

Lindsay and Paul Cullen had no trouble remaining unbeaten in guiding Highlands to 153, Cullen finishing on 21 and Lindsay on 14.

That there were still seven overs to be played is indicative of Highlands' overall dominance in this match, something not in evidence previously.

Even though ACT were missing a couple of quality players, they fielded a few still playing lower grades in Canberra, and Highlands achievement in recording a second win this season against them should not be underestimated.

Highlands 60s next assignments are against the newly-formed Highlands 50s team at Chater Oval, followed closely by a challenging game against the very strong Port Jackson at Riverwood.