LEITCHVILLE/GUNBOWER and Wandella will play off for the 2016/17 Northern District Cricket Association A Grade premiership, 12 months after meeting in the grand final.
It will be a similar situation in the B Grade grand final, with defending premiers, Nondies to travel to Riverside Park to play Wandella.
Matches occurred throughout the weekend, reducing the four finalists to the two teams to challenge for the respective titles.
In the A Grade second semi-final, five wickets to Adam Decicco helped Leitchville/Gunbower progress to a second consecutive grand final and the chance to defend its title thanks to a seven-wicket win against Wandella.
Electing to bar first, Michael Runciman (91 runs) had the Bombers well placed to post a large total to defend.
The opening batsman and captain, Isaac Hogan (25) combine for a 60-run second-wicket stand to have Wandella at 2/92 when Hogan was dismissed.
A 58-run fourth-wicket stand with Mick Bott (20) gave the visitors the chance of scoring more than 200 runs, but the dismissal of Runciman sparked a seven-wicket collapse that saw the Bombers go from 3/165 to all out for 172 in 43.5 overs.
Jack Lunghusen (62 not out) and Jason Keath (39 not out) guided the hosts to victory, putting together an unbeaten 83-run stand that enabled Leitchville/Gunbower to win with 51 balls to spare.
In Saturday’s first semi-final, an unbeaten century from captain, Blake Chant guided Barham/Koondrook to a five-wicket win against Nondies.
Batting first, the Cohuna-based team scored 182 off 44.4 overs, with Mick O’Toole taking four wickets for the hosts.
Chant was the key contributor in Barham/Koondrook’s reply, helping the team reach the victory target with 10 overs to spare.
Clay Davis (25 not out) built on his efforts from being player of the match in the under 17s grand final, uniting with Chant for an unbeaten 67-run sixth-wicket stand.
Bombers bounce back
WANDELLA booked its spot in Saturday’s grand final following a 19-run victory against Barham/Koondrook in Sunday’s preliminary final.
In what was the club’s first win since February 4, Rohan Oliver and Liam Radcliffe dominated in a high-scoring affair that produced 417 runs in 90 overs of play.
Sent in to bat first, the Bombers’ middle order all contributed, with Oliver (52 not out), Greg Dickson (48), and Brodey Farley (40) helping the hosts reach 8/218 off 45 overs.
Tom Guerra was the pick of the border side’s bowlers, claiming three wickets.
Barham/Koondrook was well placed to chase down the total, thanks to a 44-run third-wicket stand between Matt Thomas (57) and Shane Guerra (45), but three wickets to Radcliffe halted the visitors’ momentum.
Barham/Koondrook finished its 45 overs at 9/199, losing its last six wickets for 45 runs.
