THE TWELVETH MAN

TAHARA and Coleraine have finished first and second respectively on the Hamilton and District Cricket Association D Grade ladder after thrashing the opposition in their games on Saturday.

The Blue Caps have gone through the home and away season undefeated and the side finished five wins ahead of Coleraine and have assumed unbackable odds-on favouritism for the premiership.

Tarrington stood in the Blue Caps way of an undefeated summer and the home side elected to bat first after winning the toss at Tarrington Recreation Reserve.

Thara was on song with the ball as the whole bowling unit delivered a miserly line and length to restrict the Tigers to only 5-117 from their allotted overs with the wickets all shared around.

In reply, Tyler Gleeson (two) fell early, but Billy Rhook (36), Luke Ferguson (50-not-out), and William Templeton (25-not-out) saw the visitors home to grab the bonus point with 2-118 in only 18 overs in a dominant batting display.

Coleraine d St Andrews


Braeden Marett (107-not-out) and Chris Young (86-not-out) added 192 undefeated runs for the third wicket for Coleraine after St Andrews grabbed two early wickets to finish with 2-226 from its allotted overs.

Marett hit 11 boundaries and a further five maximums from the 91 balls he faced, while Young sent the ball to fence on nine occasions from the 115 balls he batted for as the pair dominated the young Drews attack.

Drews skipper John Hockey (17) and number 11 Adam Hill (14) were the only visiting batsmen to register double figures as St Andrews was dismissed for only 71 in reply as Tyler Woolley grabbed the honours with 3-6.

Turnbull Street Oval will be the venue for Coleraine in its semifinal against third placed Hamilton, while Tahara will head to Mitchell Park in Hamilton for its clash with Grampians in the other semifinal.

Pigeon Ponds won on forfeit from Hamilton North in a disappointing end to its summer and the Pigeons finished outside the top four in fifth place.