DEFENDING Northern District Cricket Association A Grade premiers, Leitchville/Gunbower and 2015/16 grand finalists, Wandella go into this weekend’s second semi-final on the back of consecutive losses.
Barham/Koondrook stunned the composite side at Leitchville, holding on for a one-run win, whilst Nondies defeated the Bombers by 48 runs.
All four sides will compete in this weekend’s finals, with Barham/Koondrook hosting Nondies in the first semi-final.
In the match of the round at Leitchville, Shane Guerra and Jesse Mayne dominated with the bat and ball to help Barham/Koondrook record its ninth win of the season.
Electing to bat first, Leitchville/Gunbower openers Kurt Brereton (40) and Casey McNaught (40) were in control early, before the border side’s captain, Blake Chant called on Mayne to be his team’s sixth bowling option.
The spinner claimed open age career best figures of 4/34 to restrict Leitchville/Gunbower to a competitive total of 9/199 off its 45 overs, thanks to a cameo effort from Jack Elliott (45 not out) at the end of the innings.
Barham/Koondrook struggled in its reply, being 3/49 at one stage before Guerra and Matt Thomas united at the crease.
Guerra (83) and Thomas (36) combined for a 62-run fourth-wicket stand which reignited the side’s hopes of victory.
The border side was cruising to victory before Elliott and Jack Lunghusen halted proceedings. The pair took two wickets each, including Lunghusen claiming the scalp of Guerra, to leave the border side eight runs shy of victory with one wicket in hand.
However, Garry Lolicato (27 not out) and Mayne (10 not out) guided Barham/Koondrook to victory, with the side finishing its 45 overs at 9/207.
Across at Cohuna, Josh Novoselek scored a century for a second consecutive weekend in his side’s 48-run victory against Wandella.
Electing to bat first, Novoselek played key roles in the opening three partnerships, all of which exceeded 50 runs, with his 105 runs making up close to half of the home side’s total of 8/241 off 45 overs.
Mick Bott claimed three late wickets for the Bombers to ensure the total the side would chase down was manageable, but early scalps left the visitors reeling at 2/2.
Brodey Farley (28) and Greg Dickson (37) helped rebuild the innings, with an unbeaten 55-run eighth-wicket stand between Zak Sambrooks (34 not out) and Matt Wilkinson (23 not out) seeing Wandella finish its 45 overs at 7/196.
Novoselek, Brandon Keely and Lachlan Holmes took two wickets each for the victors.
Bombers climb as United misses out
WANDELLA claimed the Northern District Cricket Association B Grade minor premiership and second semi-final hosting rights thanks to a 20-run win against Cohuna United at the weekend.
The result – set up by Shannon Burton (31) and a 55-run sixth-wicket stand between Russell Bott (29) and Troy Banfield (28) – also ended United’s slim finals hopes with results not going the Cohuna Recreation Reserve-based club’s way.
Electing to bat first, Wandella scored 6/165 off its 40 overs, with Daniel Coates taking three wickets for the visitors.
A 62-run opening wicket stand between Daniel Clements (37) and Lee Simmonds (18) had United well positioned to claim an upset win, but four wickets to T. Schmidt impacted the run chase.
Darren Hancock (44) top-scored for United, but his wicket sparked a collapse, with the last five wickets falling for 10 runs to leave the visitors dismissed for 145 with 10 balls remaining in the innings.
Barham/Koondrook’s 62-run win against Kerang Fairley Town moved the side to fourth on the ladder, knocking United out of the finals.
A 142-run second-wicket stand between Wes O’Neill (77) and Steven Farrant (57) helped the border side reach 8/189 off its 45 overs.
Ayush Chopra was the pick of Kerang Fairley Town’s bowlers, claiming NDCA career best figures of 5/22.
Kerang Fairley Town struggled in its reply, with Ryan Barnes (36), Anthony Lake (27) and Jaryd Burge (12 not out) the only batsmen to reach double figures as the visitors fell for 127 in the 38th over.
Jade Stewart and O’Neill took three wickets each for Barham/Koondrook, who take on Leitchville/Gunbower in Saturday’s first semi-final.
The composite side stunned defending premiers, Nondies in a 15-run win, headlined by a half-century to Todd Gelletly.
Batting first, Gelletly (53) and Brandt Gladman (35) helped the side recover from being 4/35, producing a 54-run fifth-wicket stand that enabled the side to reach 8/155 off 40 overs.
Hayden Webb dominated for Nondies with the ball, taking four scalps.
Andy Rigg (42) led Nondies’ reply, but the team could not sustain any substantial partnerships as the visitors reached 7/140 off its 40 overs, with Michael Moritz taking three wickets for Leitchville/Gunbower.
The loss sees Nondies fall to second on the ladder, with the team to travel to Riverside Park for Saturday’s second semi-final against Wandella.
