Busselton Margaret River Cricket Association grand finals will be staged at Dunsborough for the first time since 2008, after Chris Reagan’s charges demolished minor premiers YOBS in a one-sided second semi-final at Barnard Park on Saturday.
Dunsborough won the right to host this weekend’s A-grade and B-grade finals after routing YOBS for 75 in 39 overs, and then taking just 16.2 overs to wipe off the target for the loss of one wicket. Chris Reagan (39 not out) and Aaron Mott (31no) shared an unbroken 76-run stand for the second wicket to see Dunsborough canter home. Earlier, newcomer Mark Natale was virtually unplayable for Dunsborough as he claimed five successive wickets in the middle order to finish with sensational figures of 5-4 off 10 overs. Import Ricky Small-Boyce also made the most of bowling with a fresh wind at his back to snatch four wickets, while Danny Hatton claimed the only wicket from the ocean end.
The minor semi-final at Margaret River on Saturday could not have been closer, with Hawks batting first and totalling 9-173 from 50 overs, only to see St Marys chase them down and claim victory off the final possible ball of their 50th over in reply, with the last pair at the crease. Excellent fielding from both sides was a feature of the game, with Saints import Ed Moulton taking a miraculous one-handed on the boundary to dismiss Rumesh Silva, and Hawks’ teenager Kade Dittmar then holding on to a reflex catch at cover to dismiss Marc Ford when Saints batted. Saints keeper-captain Kurt Davis also completed an outstanding stumping down the leg-side off Lewis Milligan to claim the key wicket of Martin Head (52) to restrict Hawks, while Peter Grygorcewicz completed three run outs in another fielding highlight for Saints.
Sunday’s preliminary final at Barnard Park provided St Marys with the chance to participate in what would have been only their second A-grade grand final in 32 years, had they been victorious. However, in a gallant performance, Saints went down to YOBS by 40 runs, 194 all out to 154 all out. Put into bat, YOBS were anchored by Harvey Golding’s 79 before being dismissed in the 49th over. Both imports for St Marys, Ed Moulton and Joe Lowe, caused plenty of problems at the bowling crease. Saints needed a good start with the experienced pair of Marc Ford and Jono Lloyd opening their reply, but Ford fell for the second time in the weekend to a great catch when Golding held on to a diving attempt at point early in the Saints innings. Saints’ middle order fought doggedly to get as close as they could, before finally succumbing for 154 in the 46th over.
In B-grade finals, YOBS will meet Dunsborough for the Barnard Shield this weekend after two cliffhanger semi-finals were played last Saturday.
The major semi-final saw YOBS scrape home by 4 runs after totalling 167 and then bowling out Dunsborough for 163 with three balls remaining in the full allotment. The first semi-final at Barnard Park was just as good, with Saints totalling 9-212 and then restricting a gallant Hawks to 7-206, of which skipper Maurice Shinnick struck a gallant 100 not out. Sunday’s preliminary final saw Dunsborough too strong for St Marys, 9-221 to Saints’ 138 all out.
B-grade results: 2nd semi-final: YOBS 167 (40.3 overs) (L. Wedderburn 52, R. Ligtermoet 35, P. Morris 4-17, M. Cooper 2-40, A. Graham 2-45) d Dunsborough 163 (44.3 overs) (I. Purcell 47, M. Lepidi 35, J. Trewren 3-17, A. Logan 2-29, C. Snow 2-31, K. Spowart 2-31) at Dunsborough Synthetic. 1st semi-final: St Marys 9-212 (45 overs) (J. La Motte 50, T. Campbell 42no, J. Hiscock 24, M. Brown 21, T. Hartnett 21, J. Stanbury 3-38, T. Thomas 3-44, L. Westcott 2-28) d MR Hawks 7-206 (45 overs) (M. Shinnick 100no, D. Holmes 46, T. Campbell 3-33) at Barnard Synthetic. For the full results go to busseltonmail.com.au.