Left: Officer opening batsman Chris Savage was put through his paces by Kooweerup’s pacemen early in his 45run innings during Saturday’s cutthroat Agrade semifinal.By Ian Ferguson
AFTER narrowly winning the two most exciting semifinals played in WGCA for many seasons, Cardinia and Kooweerup will contest the 200607 Agrade grandfinal at Toomuc Reserve this week.
For the semifinal at Cardinia, Catani introduced proven veteran Ross Kortholt into its senior team, while minor premiers Cardinia lined up for the weekend’s semifinal clash with an unchanged team.
The Bulls elected to bat first on their home ground, but received a major setback when its run machine and captain Mark Cooper was run out for 16 in the sixth over.
A fine pickup and throw from Rob Coupe brought about that crucial dismissal and the Blues continued to impress in the field when Luke McFarlane clung onto a brilliant lefthanded catch at backward point to remove Steve Paterson for three.
Cardinia was then a shaky 2/37, but John Nooy, with some excellent leg side shots, and Troy Da Rose added another 30 runs before the former fell to a Yorker from Paul Govaars.
Ben Da Rose then joined his younger brother in a valuable 55run stand before he was dismissed shortly near the tea interval for 37.
Jamie Glen attacked the Catani bowlers after the break and his valuable hand of 30 included a soaring six into the grandstand off Owen Fitzpatrick.
Troy Da Rose compiled an impressive 43 before he was caught behind off Fitzpatrick and when Glen was needlessly run out for 30, the ascendancy in the game had shifted to Catani.
First change bowler Luke McFarlane was the player who brought the Blues back in the game with his accurate and probing swing bowling. He bowled Dwayne Doig for 15 and when he and Lionel Sexton quickly disposed of the tailenders the Bulls’ dangerous wicketkeeperbatsman Luke Turner was left stranded on 28 notout.
McFarlane, who captured 3/52 from 25 overs, was Catani’s key bowler and he received good support from Sexton (2/63 off 16 overs) and Fitzpatrick (2/62 off 19 overs).
Cardinia’s moderate total of 229 appeared to be difficult to defend, but the Bulls stampeded back into the contest in the final seven overs of the day.
Fitzpatrick fell lbw to Chris Remy for three and when key batsman Brad McDonald shouldered arms and was bowled by Adam Hobson for a duck, the Blues were in deep trouble.
Skipper Nic Close and Danny Parsons saw them through safely to stumps and Catani resumed day two of its semifinal on a shaky 2/17.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:DAY TWO
Catani appeared to be overly cautious when it resumed next day with less than two runs on average being scored from the first ten overs.
The accuracy of Remy and Hobson gained early rewards and when the visitors slumped to 8/103 Catani appeared doomed.
However an unexpected and gritty ninthwicker partnership of 85 runs between McFarlane and Govaars restored the balance of the game, and set up a ‘cliffhanging’ finish.
The unconventional batting of Govaars troubled the minor premiers until Doig’s artful spinners claimed him for 39 and when the Bulls’ leading spinner then caught and bowled Tom Coupe for three, the brave Catani fightback had fallen short by 23 runs.
Doig performed well to claim 3/60 from 19.5 overs, but it was fringe Agrade mediumpace bowler Brad Goodman who was Cardinia’s match winner.
Goodman claimed the valuable wickets of Close, Lehman, Sexton and Kortholt in quick succession and when Close fell for a defiant 42 he was the only recognised Blues’ batsman who troubled the scorers.
An excellent opening partnership of 113 runs from Rod Zlonzak and Chris Savage placed Officer in a strong position for most of the first session of play against Kooweerup.
Zlonzak’s impressive tally of 69 included 11 boundaries before he fell to a diving catch by wicketkeeper Steve Johnson and the Demons gained three more quick wickets before Officer stumbled into the tea break on 4/126.
In that nightmare 40minute period, a dreadful mixup resulted in Brett Reid being run out for three.
When Chris Savage fell to smart slips’ catch by Mick Damon for a well compiled 45, (which included six boundaries and a glorious six into the clubroom area), Kooweerup was unexpectedly back in the game.
Officer coach Colin Tucker also fell late in the first session and it appeared that the Bullants had squandered a potentially matchwinning start to the game.
Tight bowling from Kooweerup captain Matt Davey and young leg spinner Matthew Bright helped bring about this change in the game and a spirited spell of fast bowling from English recruit Carl McGregor continued the Demon’s momentum in the last session of play.
McGregor picked up both Ben Baxter and Sean Marchetti cheaply and finished the day with the telling figures of 5/58 from 25.1 overs.
Davey was a dangerous customer all day and deserved his figures of 3/72 from 19 overs.
Matthew Bright bowled accurately to snare 1/21 from nine overs, while Damon was sure fingered in the slips and covers areas where he grasped three crucial catches.
Valuable hands of 37 from Shane White and 32 from Kable Dowsett enabled the host team to post the reasonable tally of 228, but Kooweerup was strongly placed when it resumed day two of his semifinal match on 0/1.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:DAY TWO
Chris O’Hara and Damon shared a useful opening stand of 33 before Damon fell for 21 and Trent Cochrane, Johnson, McConnell and McGregor followed before the Demons reached the total of 5/123 at the tea interval.
O’Hara, the hero of Kooweerup’s Bgrade premiership last season, was the mainstay of the Demons’ batting and his tight defence, vigorous hook shots and sweetly timed cuts and drives kept the Demons in the contest.
His skipper Matt Davey provided him with the support he needed and the duo’s attacking batting produced a crucial partnership of 108 runs.
Six fours and a six were included in Davey’s robust knock of 58 before he was caught off Dowsett’s bowling and hope returned to the Bullants’ colony after the hardtoiling speedster claimed the vital wicket of O’Hara after he scored a stylish 97.
However finally the eighthwicket pair of Ben Miller and Matthew Bright steered Kooweerup to a nervous victory and the Demons gained a muchcoveted grandfinal spot.
Officer’s ground fielding was excellent for most of the day, but the Bullants did spill some vital catches.
Dowsett, Andrew Tucker and Ben Tivendale all bowled tirelessly, but the influence of O’Hara’s batting finally proved to be the catalyst for a stirring Kooweerup victory.
