The Mowers won the toss and sent the Flames in to bat first, with openers Miller Griffiths and Cohan Hooper making a solid start across the first 11 overs, scoring at a run rate of just over four.
But Griffiths was dismissed with the first ball of the 12th by Matt Saunders, and the in-form Bohden Learmonth and Hooper followed soon after, both falling to Russell Stockdale deliveries in the 21st over.
Kyabram’s middle order failed to arrest the slide, as the dismissals of Shannon Fleming and Jake Gascoyne left the Flames 5-76.
A promising sixth wicket partnership between Cooper Fawcett and Robert Salter of 35 offered some reprieve.
Both also fell to Stockdale with the next two wickets, as the Moama bowler ripped through Kyabram’s order to record match-best figures of 6-29.
“He (Stockdale) was massive, he come on and had an impact straight away with the ball and was clearly the main player with the ball and bowled really, really well,” Moama captain Joel Murphy said.
Following Fawcett and Salter’s dismissals, it became a matter of how early the Flames would be all bowled out.
The tail did little to boost the total, as the final wicket of Wil Harrison fell at the end of the 46th over, Kyabram posting a total of 144.
After his heroics with the ball, Stockdale led the way with the bat as Moama made relative ease of the run chase.
The opener wasted little time, hitting a four and six in the first over as he came out with the intent to aggressively attack the Flames bowlers.
Stockdale would end up with nine fours to go along with the six, making 49 off just 31 balls before being bowled by a Hunter Fawcett delivery, perhaps biting off more than he could chew chasing another boundary to bring up his half-century.
“To turn what could be a tricky chase into a really simple one with the way he started was awesome, and he's so important for us at the top of the order, and he more often than not gets us off to quick starts,” Murphy said.
“He's had a great season and to put in a performance like that at semi-final week was really pleasing.”
Murphy picked up where Stockdale left off with the same nonchalance in the way he deconstructed each delivery.
Murphy quickly accumulated runs alongside Fraser Buchanan, who although largely took a back seat as Stockdale and Murphy did all the big hitting, still made 36 off 63 deliveries.
It was Murphy who would be the top scorer though, reaching an effortless half century by finishing not out on 55 off only 57 balls, which included hitting a whopping eight fours.
“I thought I batted pretty well, which is nice,” Murphy said.
“When I come in we were well in front of the run rate, and they probably had to keep the field up to try and put pressure on, so there were boundaries available, and I got a couple away, which is nice, and I was happy with how I batted.”
Buchanan struck the winning runs off the first ball of the 26th over, a pull shot for four, confirming Moama’s place in the decider.
The Mowers will face Bamawm-Lockington United, which happens to be the only side to have beaten them this season.
“We only played them a couple of weeks ago, and they beat us pretty comprehensively, but cricket's a funny game and a new week, anything can happen,” Murphy said.
“We're very much looking forward to having another go at it because we had a few guys out that day, they had a few guys out that day, it'll be different conditions.
“It's at Moama, we beat them earlier in the year at Moama, so we're going to be going in confident and ready to roll.”
The Game
Kyabram Fire Brigade 144 (Cooper Fawcett 25, Russell Stockdale 6-29, Matt Saunders 1-13) lt Moama 1-148 (Joel Murphy 55 not out, Russell Stockdale 49, Hunter Fawcett 1-15)
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