THE TWELFTH MAN


HDCA – Semi-finals


COLERAINE and Tahara won their way through to 2025 Hamilton District Cricket Association grand finals at the weekend, but Casterton District stumbled at the final hurdle, on its way to the B Grade big day.


Casterton district fell short in its bid to play in the B Grade grand final after losing the semi-final against Hamilton at Dahl Turf, Hamilton on Saturday.


After finishing the home and away season in second place, Hamilton earned the tight to host the game on its home ground and quickly decided to bat first after winning the toss.


Two quick wickets handed the early advantage to Casterton District and another two fell with only 60 on the board and the visitors held control of the game.


But Hamilton veteran batsman Robbie Cook responded as only he knows how, with a knock of 100-not-out in the last of Hamilton’s overs, to steer the Blues to 7-185.


His runs came from only 112 balls and included 12 boundaries as he guided his beloved club through the troubled waters the team found itself in.


In reply, five Maroons batsmen reached double figures after gaining starts but none went on to post the innings that would see the side home to victory and a place in the grand final, as the final wicket fell with only 133 on the board.


In the second semi-final, top-ranked College was stunned by fourth-placed Grampians at College Turf by seven wickets, with 12.3 overs to spare.


The grand final will be staged at Clem Young Oval, Hamilton on Saturday with the game starting at 1pm.


BLUE CAPS BOOK TWO TICKETS TO BIG DANCE


TAHARA has booked places in the HDCA C and D Grade grand finals with victory in both grades as the semi-finals were decided on Saturday in Hamilton.


C Grade


THE Blue Caps were drawn at JLC Young Oval, Myrniong against College who had entered the match as odds-on favourites, but that did not daunt Tahara as it won by 32 runs after being sent into bat.


The decision to send Tahara into bat must have sat well with College skipper, Martin Clark, as his bowlers had the Blue Caps struggling at 5-59, as Jason Schmidt and Jack Dyer made inroads into the top order with the new ball.


It took a stunning sixth-wicket partnership of 111 between Harry Goodman (58) and Brandon Disson (59) to rescue the innings and allowed the side to post 199 when the final wicket fell, as Schmidt (3-10) and Dyer (5-36) took the honours with the ball.


The Eagles had their chances to claim the victory as the top order batsmen made starts but failed to go on and score the big tally required to win the game.


John Austin (14), Sam Tonissen (30), Schmidt (46), Tim Wilson (36) and George Clark (20) all defied the bowlers but did not go on with the job as the College final score finished with only 167 on the board.


Jack Goodman (3-19) and Harry Goodman (3-22) took the bowling honours as the brothers were miserly in allowing less than four runs an over from their bowling.


Macarthur d Tarrington


MACARTHUR looked to Matt Timms (101-not-out) to steer their passage into the last game of the Summer, the Demons defeating Tarrington by eight wickets at Macarthur Recreation Reserve.


Timms (1-22), Adam Fry (1-10) and Bingham Jarrett (4-34) took the honours with the ball for the Demons as the home side kept the Tigers to 8-150 from the allotted overs, with Andry O’Connor playing a lone hand with 91-not-out while Riley Millard (26) gave him some support.


Timms only struck 12 boundaries in his 127-ball knock, but he ground out the runs to ensure Macarthur went through to the grand final as Jarrett supported him with 36.


Tahara will play Macarthur at Pedrina Park 1 next Saturday with the match to begin at 1pm.


D GRADE


TAHARA was in the field after losing the toss against Grampians at Mitchell Park, Hamilton and the Blue Caps must have thought they were going to chase a huge target, as the Pumas reached 126 with only one wicket down and nine overs remaining.


Alex Bird (46) had opened the innings and batted so well, but was out after a second wicket partnership with his father Ken Bird (69) of 109 that saw the Pumas in a position of strength, only to see that strength undermined as Tahara recovered to grab 7-38 as the Pumas posted 8-165.


It was a reasonably easy chase for Tahara after losing the early wicket of Tyler Gleeson (12) as Billy Rhook (23), Luke Ferguson (65-not-out) and Keith Northcott (50-not-out) reached the target in only 29.1 overs.


Coleraine d Hamilton


A BOWLERS’ wonderland greeted the teams at Turnbull St Oval on Saturday, as Coleraine defended its meagre tally of only 80 by dismissing Hamilton for 65 in reply, as 20 wickets fell for just 145 runs in the day, from only 68.3 overs.


The natural surface will always produce a different game than that which is played on a synthetic surface, but so many wickets for so few runs is something the curator will not be pleased about, even though the home side won.


Only four players across both teams registered double figures with the highest score of the day being 16, while the most runs taken from a bowler was only 17.


This game gives no form guide for the Coleraine team as they enter the grand final, but they did finish second on the ladder and deserve their place against Tahara next Saturday at Pedrina Park 3, which is a much smaller ground with a fast outfield and a synthetic wicket, which will suit the batsmen of both teams.


A GRADE


THE HDCA A Grade grand final will be played-off between Macarthur and Tyrendarra.


The pair will meet at Monivae Turf over two weekends, this Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 March and next weekend, 29 and 30 March.