By Lachlan Mitchell
PROVINCIAL
Regular season ladder-leaders Baden Powell hosted reigning premiers Sorrento at Overport Park on Saturday, looking to avenge last year’s grand final defeat.
Sorrento skipper Bobby Wilson won the toss and sent the Braves in.
Openers Beau Anthony and Luke Long got the ball rolling in the right direction for the home-side, putting on a 62 run first wicket stand.
A Rhys Elmi knock of 75 off 81 balls helped bump the total to a very handy 5/224 after 40 overs.
Leigh Janssen was the best of the Sharks bowlers snaring 2/25 off his eight overs.
Sorrento seemed lost at sea after losing opener Jedd Flack for 0. But fellow opener Corey Harris (59) and Bobby Wilson (49) put together a 113 run second wicket stand.
Typically used as a lower order finisher, Jake Wood was promoted to four to accelerate the Sharks run rate.
The competitions premier quick used his willow to put on a swashbuckling 68 off 42 balls, including 6 maximums.
The mesmeric innings steered Sorrento to a six-wicket boil over win and its fourth successive grand final.
The Sharks upcoming opponent, Old Peninsula, was looking to avenge last season heart-breaking semi-final loss to Baden Powell, when it went head to head with Langwarrin at the Peninsula school.
The Kangaroos won the toss and elected to bat, with reigning Wally Wedgewood Medal winner Matthew Prosser getting his side off to the best possible start with a heroic 48.
The back-half of the innings for Langwarrin is where the wheels fell off for the boys from Lloyd Park, with spinner John Forrest halting the innings, taking 2/31 after his maximum overs.
The Pirates looked in control early, despite the loss of opener Benjamin Stewart for seven.
The departure of Stewart brought the experienced Wade Pelzer (67 not out) to the crease, who used his skill and prowess to anchor the innings.
Pelzer and Will Crowder (8 not out) didn’t need all the allotted overs, reaching the total with four balls to spare.
The grand final presents a mouth-watering proposition with Sorrento looking to secure a three-peat and Old Peninsula looking to win its first flag since 2015/16.
PENINSULA
Eric Bell Reserve had more life than a Rawalpindi cricket stadium on day five, when the Pines took on Seaford for a spot in the Peninsula grand final.
Nicholas Christides (78) was an unstoppable force for the Pines, he and fellow opener Damien Lawrence (30) put together 88 for the first wicket.
Liam O’Halloran (4/26) took matters into his own hands, showing his class with the ball, as the Tigers restricted Pines to 187 after 40 overs.
Seaford struggled to get the engine heated-up, failing to formulate a partnership with any momentum.
Mackenize Gardner (41) did his best effort to drag his team back from the brink of extinction, but after Gardner saw his castle raided the task seemed almost impossible.
Luke Chevalier (35) made a last-ditch effort to save the day, but unfortunately for his side it wasn’t enough for the Tigers, as they fell agonizingly 12 runs short of the total.
Somerville was looking to book its spot in the final with a win over Heatherhill at Bruce Park.
The Eagles won the toss and bravely sent their counter-parts into bat.
The Hawks struggled to gain momentum, and couldn’t string together any partnerships of consideration to assert their dominance over Somerville.
Heatherhill had to contend with the golden-arches of Brad McDonald’s straight-breaks, as he took 3/16 from his six overs to extinguish the Hawks innings for 158.
When you play against Somerville three things in life are certain tax, death and Brenton Alp (45) giving it his all at the top of the order.
When Alp was dismissed off the bowling of Brett Maxwell, the Hawks were up and about.
But the Eagles steadied through Leigh Lowry (64) who found his bearings to guide his side home with 14 balls to spare.
The win for the Eagles gives them another chance at joining the top flight, when it travels to Eric Bell Reserve on Saturday to take on Pines.
DISTRICT
Do-or-Die finals action was centre stage at Dromana Reserve on Saturday, when Dromana played Delacombe Park.
The Grasshoppers start falling to 3/63, before Dromana opener Kyle Voelkl (65) steadied the ship.
Captain-coach Jack Fowler (59) amped the run rate up with 10 boundaries in quick succession, as his side finished with an even 200 from its 40 overs.
Delacombe Park looked like it had packed up early after falling to 2/15, both wickets courteous of Dromana’s Jeffrey Bluhm.
Christopher Vervoorst was like a hot knife through butter to the Delacombe Park middle order.
Vervoorst captured 4/42 in eight overs to finish Delacombe Park’s chase, 44 runs short of the total.
It’s fair to say Carrum didn’t bring its best to its semi-final clash with Carrum Downs at Steve Thompson Oval.
Carrum was skittled for 99; Corey Hand (29) was the only light on a very glum day for the Lions.
Cougars bowler Shane Smith took 3/17 to add salt further into the Carrum wound.
Carrum Downs didn’t get the chase its own way, when opener Brad Lockhart was trapped in front on nine by Shaun Foster.
The task to reach the meagre total was left up to Gordon Waterfall (34), who has made light-work of run chases this summer.
The Cougars reached the total in 35 overs to secure its second grand final berth in as many seasons.
Dromana will host Carrum Downs in the big dance, with a place in the Peninsula competition on the horizon for the winner.
SUB DISTRICT
Tyabb and Tootgarook went head-to-head, with Aidan Pateman and Travis French being bigger box-office stars for their respective sides than Laurel and Hardy.
After Rob Hearn won the toss, Pateman (72) couldn’t have gotten his side off to a better start with a free-flowing half-century.
Runs were the hottest commodity of the day, with dot-balls being the main currency.
Tyabb was able to hold Toot captain Bobby Parslow wicket-less for the first time this summer, as the Yabbies finished on 6/193 after 40 overs.
Tootgarook opener Travis French got his side into the contest with 82 at the top of the order.
As the wickets fell, it was left up to French and Steven Nelson to build pick up the pieces, but the Frogs were unable to reach the 193 total, falling 12 runs short.
Luke Rus was damaging with the ball, taking 2/35 off eight which included a crucial maiden.
Seaford, meanwhile, played host to the unpredictable Skye at R.F Miles Reserve.
The Kookaburras made a very respectable 10/158 from 39.3 overs, with Jasmeet Virdi leading the way with 40.
Seaford proved that they have been the best-team all year reaching the total with seven wickets to spare in 32 overs.
Aaron Bardwell’s 60 made the biggest dent on the Kookaburras total.
The final couldn’t come any sooner for both Tyabb and Seaford next week at R.F Miles Reserve.
The Tigers and the Yabbies have been the best two teams of the season and the final looms to be one of the greats.
