Sport
10 March, 2023
Leaders set for grand final battle
WIMMERA-Mallee Cricket Association has decided its grand finalists for season 2022-23 after semi-finals were completed on Saturday. In a familiar sight over the past six seasons, Jeffcott will play for back-to-back titles in the A Grade match...
WIMMERA-Mallee Cricket Association has decided its grand finalists for season 2022-23 after semi-finals were completed on Saturday.
In a familiar sight over the past six seasons, Jeffcott will play for back-to-back titles in the A Grade match against nearest rival Brim-Kellalac/Sheep Hills.
Jeffcott will be gunning for its fifth premiership in six seasons after claiming victory over Donald in their clash at Jeffcott Oval, while Brim-KSH staked their claim for premiership honours with a strong victory over St Arnaud.
In the B Grade, it is a similar story with the leading two teams at the end of the home and away season set to do battle in the season finale.
Jeffcott and Southern Mallee Giants made their way to the grand final after respective wins over St Arnaud and Birchip.
On the turf wicket at Brim, home team Brim-KSH were invited to bat first after St Arnaud won the toss and put together a defendable total of 131.
A big start to the innings had the home team in control when openers Matt Crisp and Jeremy Preston put together an opening stand of 71.
The pair were cautious in accumulating their partnership but provided a strong basis for team-mates to work on as Preston posted a score of 28 from 79 balls in an anchor role for his partner.
Crisp was more attacking in a keen battle with the St Arnaud bowling attack and maintained a presence before being third man dismissed for a top score of 58 which came off 86 balls and included five boundaries.
At 2-103, Brim-KSH looked pretty comfortable but the St Arnaud bowlers were able to maintain a tidy line and length and made the home team work for every run as they finished the innings by claiming five wickets for 28 runs.
Skipper Isaac McPherson and Chris McPherson provided valuable contributions in the middle order with 17 and 13 respectively and were the only other batsmen to post double-figure scores.
After its 40 overs, Brim-KSH had amassed a hard working total of 7-131 as Patchings Jacob and Lachie were miserly through their eight-over spells.
Lachie finished with the best figures of the innings when he claimed and impressive 3-9 from eight overs, while Jacob claimed 2-19 and were joined by Carl and Kurtis Torney who claimed one wicket each.
In reply, an equally impressive bowling display took place when the Brim-KSH attack found their line early and provided plenty of pressure to the St Arnaud batting line-up.
An opening stand of 12 was cut short when the home team made an initial breakthrough and continued to take wickets and reduced the batting team to 5-32 with all bowlers making a contribution of some sort.
Through number seven Sam Penfold, St Arnaud kept their chances alive, but were unable to counter the accuracy of the ball as Mark McPherson used his experience and guile to put the batting team to the sword.
McPherson finished with strong figures of 3-15 from eight overs as St Arnaud fell well short of its mark, bowled out for 92 in 35.4 overs.
Penfold made a top score of 30 but with only opening bat Jarryd Kell making a second double-figure score of 19, the visitors struggled to cope with the line of the bowling team. Kell toiled hard for his runs coming off 73 balls before fifth man dismissed.
Six bowlers were used for Brim-KSH with all sharing wickets with Chris McPherson providing good support to brother Mark to claim 2-21 off eight overs.
Jeffcott made its way to its sixth grand final appearance in succession when they proved too strong for Donald.
Batting first after being sent in, Jeffcott posted a handy total of 123 from 34.5 overs as Donald worked hard to limit the strong batting line-up.
Opening pacemen Ed Landwehr and Koby Westerland made life difficult for their opponents who were reduced to 3-31 before Lachie Jones produced another steadying innings to put his team on track for its defendable total.
Jones made a top score of 42 and Sam Postlethwaite, 20, Ryan Bath, 15, and skipper Daniel Atkins, 11, kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Landwehr finished the best of the bowling attack to claim 3-20 off seven overs, while Westerland conceded just six runs from five overs.
Dion Hawkes claimed 3-22 off 6.5 overs and helped reduce Jeffcott’s innings where they lost 3-0 towards the latter part of their innings.
Donald’s reply saw them face up to some accurate bowling from the Jeffcott line-up who were able to restrict their opponent to 106, bowled out off the final ball of the innings.
Kalon Green posted a top score of 26 off 29 balls in the middle order after opener Will Noble made an attacking 25 off 27 balls but were the only two batsmen to take on the bowling as all other batsmen struggled with the line and length.
Jones again led the way with the ball to finish with best figures of 4-19 off eight overs, while Nick Atkins and Jett Adams claimed two wickets each.
Southern Mallee Giants has made it six wins on the trot and a place in the B Grade grand final after proving too strong for Birchip.
A Luke Mitchell batting display saw the Giants post 9-115 off its 40 overs with Mitchell providing the bulk of the total with a top score of 70.
Mitchell was the only batsmen to handle the Birchip bowling attack with his innings coming off 95 balls and included six boundaries and two sixes.
Only Jaiden Cook posted another double-figure score of 18 as opening pair Ty Colbert and Lachie Randall finished the best of the Birchip bowling attack with respective figures of 3-15 and 3-20.
In reply, Birchip made some early running with its top three batsmen making starts but were unable to follow up through its batting line-up to be bowled out for 82 in 34.1 overs.
Number three David Whitehand top scored with 27 after openers Randall, 11, and skipper Mark Trollope made 13 before the Giants bowling attack took charge of the match.
Cook produced a strong double to claim 3-25 off eight overs, while Mitchell, Jack Flavel and Adrian Love all claimed two wickets each.
The Giants will play minor premier Jeffcott after they made their way to the grand final with a thrilling victory over St Arnaud.
Batting first, Jeffcott posted a healthy 7-187 from its 40 overs with opening bat Tom Reekie making a top score of 86 from 107 balls with 13 boundaries.
Strong contributions helped push the score to 187 as St Arnaud took off in chase of its target.
A top score of 63 to opening bat Zane Bigmore and 53 runs to Josh Walters-Marsh in the middle order ensured St Arnaud stayed in touch of the required score and took the game to the final over before falling short by seven runs in a thrilling finish to the match.