WICKETS tumbled across the final home-and-away round of the SHDCA season, as a team was dismissed for less than 100 runs in each of the four games.
The biggest capitulation came from Ultima TUF, who could only manage 26 runs from 14 overs thanks to a two-person bowling masterclass.
From the second ball of the innings, the Roodogs were in trouble at 1/0. Kyle Symons dismissed LBW by Brenton Caldwell, who would then dismiss Aydan Symons in his next over.
Opening the bowling from the other end, Lleyton Purcell would claim his first wicket in the fourth over, Josh Waldron caught by Ryan Hinton for 2.
The floodgates opened, the Roodogs falling to 4/13, before losing their next four wickets for just five runs.
No Ultima TUF player could break the double-digits mark.
Purcell took 6/18 off seven overs and at one point was on a hat-trick. Caldwell had 4/7 from 7.3.
RSL ran way big winners, as openers Ben Hallam and Ryan Hinton combined for a huge 126-run opening partnership.
Hallam added 40 runs to the total, but it was Hinton who starred with an unbeaten century that included an impressive 17 fours.
Woorinen’s Darren Rushton continued his stellar late-season form against Swan Hill.
After the Swans elected to bat, the Tigers’ devastating pairing of Rushton and Gurmander Singh took early wickets.
Lachlan Edwards was dismissed by Singh for 1 and Ammar Khalid was caught by Singh for a duck off the bowling of Rushton.
Swans spinner Ian Schodde attempted to stand tall with the bat, providing some middle-order stability with a 58-ball innings of 14, and No.11 Chiranjivi Pavan Thota managed an unbeaten 13.
However, the Swans were dismissed for 80 runs in the 48th over.
Rushton finished with 6/24, while Singh took 2/4 and Stefan Mangiameli 2/6.
It took the Tigers just 18 overs to chase down the total, as Jason Mangiameli produced 24 not out and Jackson Hughes 22 in the six-wicket win.
Jacob Hatcher applied some pressure, taking 3/39 off his nine overs.
Another two-bowler show resigned Barham Koondrook to a three-wicket loss at the hand of St Mary’s Tyntynder, managing only 46 runs.
Bulldogs bowler Robin Sebastian was dominant in his 10 overs, taking 5/19, while skipper Nathaniel Holmes-Brown finished off the rest with 5/27.
The pair were at times unplayable.
The start of St Mary’s chase didn’t start how they would have liked, when Jake Foster was dismissed for 1.
After falling to 5/41 when Charlie King was dismissed for 16, the middle order pitched in with the bat.
Riley Daniels made a quick 30 and Austin McKerrow made an unbeaten 26 to claim the win.
Ladder leaders Nyah District had the perfect tune-up for their first finals match, defeating the side they will meet this weekend.
Winning the toss and putting Wandella into the field, Joel Walsh was at his best with the bat, scoring 61.
An unbeaten 37 from Demons wicketkeeper Justin Toomey pushed Nyah’s score to a competitive 9/151.
Walsh was quickly in the action again with the ball, dismissing Samuel Copland for a duck with the third ball of the innings.
Ethan McKnight top scored for the Bombers with 19 off 54 balls.
The pick of Nyah’s bowlers, Walsh would claim figures of 3/4 off eight overs while his skipper Ben Shadbolt took 3/19 off 11 overs.
They were well supported by Alex Wilson’s 2/18, as Wandella were dismissed for 81.
