Bill Williams Goulburn B-grade shield
We now know who will be featuring in the Goulburn Murray Cricket B-Goulburn finals, with the top four confirmed following round 17.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Moama continues to stay in the hunt for a first-place finish after a comfortable 45-run win at Colbinabbin.
The visitors batted first, making a shaky start as three wickets fell in the first eight overs.
Colbo bowlers Grant Fuller (4-36) and skipper Hamish Hooppell (3-18) were dominant with ball in hand, ripping through Moama’s middle order.
Archie Teasdale’s knock of 38 off 41 balls later proved key to the Mowers’ victory.
Chasing 93 runs to win, the host fell well short, as Geordie Teasdale (3-13) and Kirk Teasdale (3-3) led the way for Moama, ensuring Colbinabbin was all dismissed for a lowly 47 after just 19 overs.
Meanwhile, although Elmore’s hopes of finishing first are faint, a six-wicket win over Rushworth ensured the Redbacks will play finals.
The Tigers batted first, posting a solid score of 149, with Liam Francis making 37 and Bradie Chillingsworth chipping in with 28.
Despite making an early breakthrough in the fourth over, Rushworth’s attack couldn’t stop Elmore’s James Harney, who powered the Redbacks to victory with a terrific knock of 70 off 68 balls.
Harney punctuated his innings with seven fours and two sixes as Elmore sealed the win at the end of the 28th over.
In Bamawm, Kyabram looms as a potential semi-final opponent for Elmore, with the Flames remaining first after a four-wicket win over BLU.
Bowling first, Kyabram’s attack proved too difficult to handle for BLU, who struggled to score and saw five batters dismissed for ducks.
Flames captain Rikki Busch recorded match-best figures of 4-17 as BLU set a total of 97 to chase.
Opener Jeff Turpin led the way in the Kyabram innings, posting 48 not out as Kyabram secured victory in the 27th over.
Joining Kyabram and Moama in the battle for first is Echuca, who proved too strong for Stanhope in a 29-run victory.
Echuca elected to bat first and posted a reachable total of 143 in its 40 overs, as Ky Henson led the way with 61 off 82 balls.
The Stanhope chase got off to a rocky start, with two wickets falling in the first three overs.
Although its middle order righted the ship, with Ollie Stewart’s knock of 44 breathing life back into the innings, quick and easy runs were difficult to come by.
Skipper Rory Carlile (4-16) and Nick Dolan (3-17) led the Echuca attack as it returned to the winner’s list.
Cooma had the bye.
Bill Williams Murray B-grade shield
Rochester’s total of 182 proved too much for Moama, as Rochy cruised to a 45-run victory.
Opener Donald Young powered the innings with a half-century, scoring 53 off 83 balls.
He was supported by Matthew Harrington, who posted 41 off just 35 balls, which included seven fours in an aggressive batting display.
While runs came freely for visiting Rochester, the Mowers did not have the same success, despite the best efforts of Charles Connors.
He was Moama’s top scorer with 41 off 61 balls, but a well-balanced bowling effort, led by Alice Caldow (3-27) got the job done and edged Rochy closer to securing a home semi-final.
League leaders Kyabram Fire Brigade survived a scare against lowly Nondies Cohuna, chasing down 156 with only three overs spare.
Nondies batted first, with a half-century from co-captain Anthony Moorhouse (51) and Adam Ridley’s 42 setting up a challenging chase for the visitors.
An upset seemed on the cards when Kyabram lost Sam Vick and Paul Newman in the first four overs, and it was at one stage 6-66.
The seventh wicket partnership of 52 between Andrew Stockdale and Jarrod Chapman would ultimately prove crucial to securing victory, as Kyabram notched its eighth win of the season in the 37th over.
The Flames have already secured top spot ahead of a round 15 meeting with Rochester and will likely face either Leitchville-Gunbower or Tongala in a home semi-final.
Leitchville-Gunbower all but ended Echuca South’s finals hopes with a strong batting performance.
Openers Casey Mcnaught (35) and Thomas Colvin (31) led the way for L-G, posting a strong first-wicket partnership of 65.
A total of 158 was more than enough for victory, as South struggled at the crease, only scoring at a rate of 2.55 per over.
South only dropped seven wickets but a total of 102 fell well short, despite a solid knock of 45 off 88 balls from opener Ben Eade.
Leitchville-Gunbower captain Daniel Hegarty was dominant with ball in hand, taking an astonishing 5-7 from eight overs and registering three maidens.
Tongala had the bye.
Gus Underwood C-grade shield
Echuca had no trouble hunting down the 126 all out set by Rochester, reaching the target with seven wickets in hand.
Jaye Caldwell led a lethal Echuca attack, taking 3-14, while Jaxon Hogan and Lachlan Farley both logged efficient 2-3 spells.
Leigh Hartshorne was the shining light for Rochester, making 58 from 47 at the top of the order, while a pair of unbeaten 34s from Shaun Fitzgerald and Daryl McLean finished off the Echuca chase.
Stanhope crawled its way to 9-81 off the full 40 overs, Bamawm-Lockington United chasing the target down in half that time.
Jason Turner (3-5) and Isaiah Flett (3-12) starred in a miserly BLU bowling effort, before Nathan Neville (26 not out) and Royce Serpell (24 not out) showed steady nerves to get their side home.
Cooma posted a modest 123, but it was enough to hold off the Echuca South batting line-up, the Swans dismissed for 109.
The big performances were focused on the second innings, with South opener Malcolm Mackenzie-Ross making a game-best 46, while Jake Moore was able to raise the ball after taking 5-33.
Girgarre had the bye.
Peter Raglus D-grade shield
BLU had too much batting for Murchison, chasing down 125 in 27.3 overs and with six wickets in hand.
Nigel Riordan snagged 3-17 in the Lions’ bowling effort, before a pair of 50 retireds from Gregory Pearse (53) and Edward Brentall (50) accounted for the vast majority of the target.
Girgarre failed to strike with ball or bat, bowled out for 91 in search of Echuca’s 2-156.
Jamie Scott retired on 50 and Henry Bell made 44 unbeaten as Echuca set its target, before Ash Smith (3-6) and Jason Gould (3-23) each took three wickets to roll the Roos for double figures.
Despite 52 retired from Joshua Maudsley, Rushworth made only 5-121 in its 36 overs, not enough to hold off a rampaging Kyabram Fire Brigade, who reached the target one down.
Fire Brigade’s batters showed plenty of quality and go in the 16-over chase, with James Hargreaves making 47 not out, Charlie Pekin 45 and Ethan Ciavarella 21 not out.
Tongala ground its way to 9-136 from its 36 overs, but couldn’t stave off the chase of Stanhope, which won by seven wickets.
Captain Tim Simpson (36) was the best of the Blues’ batters in the middling total, as the Lions shared the wickets around.
Adam Braithwaite put his mark on the game in the chase, retiring on 50.