Collapse hands Kangas win
A grade
Western Park got an early edge over its final opponent Neerim District with a comfortable win.
An unbeaten half century to Sam Batson, along with cameos from Adam Feltham and Luke Gilbert, helped the Warriors post 4/133 from their allotted overs.
While Bailey George and Aaron Fawcett both managed starts, it wasn’t enough as Western Park took wickets at regular intervals to restrict Neerim District to 121.
Kirk Dalziell ripped through the Neerim District middle order to finish with 6/25 from his four overs. Buln Buln defeated Longwarry in a tight affair. Thomas Park took 3/20 to help restrict the Crows to 8/116.
Jack Armour, Brent Eastwell and Corey Jagoe helped the Lyrebirds recover from early wickets to bring up the winning runs with three balls to spare.
B grade
Hallora did enough to remain undefeated with a tight win over Ellinbank, which saw the Eagles fall outside the top two.
Ryan Williams hit 20 off 10 balls, but other bats struggled to get going as Hallora posted 134.
Will Robertson went at almost nine an over, but picked up three vital wickets.
The Ellinbank innings followed a similar path, with only Troy Ferguson and Lachlan Pratt bettering a run-a-ball as the Eagles were bowled out for 122.
James Williams, Craig Byrnes and Grant Duncan each took two wickets for Hallora.
C grade
Yarragon entered the final with confidence following a thumping win over invitational side Blackbridge.
After restricting Blackbridge to 8/110, the Panthers raced to the target with more than four overs to spare.
Gamini Kumara was left with little to do in the chase, with Andy Trewern, Jake Green and Zaron Smith doing the bulk of the work up front.
Earlier, John Buckland and Jake Borsato each took two wickets for Yarragon.
Garfield-Tynong comfortably accounted for Warragul in the other match.
The Titans posted 6/164 before restricting the Gulls to 84.
D grade
Jindivick and Western Park secured their place in the final following victory in the final round.
Gordon Winstone returned the figures of 3/15 to help Jindivick restrict Drouin to 7/114.
Ben Giles made 33 opening to set up the successful chase, finished off at the death by an unbeaten 22 from Rory Payne.
Western Park were afforded the opportunity to cruise after bowling Buln Buln out for 93.
Wil Cole took 3/12 from three overs, while Michael Talbot picked up two wickets.
Dave Burn accelerated the run chase with an unbeaten 32 from 17 balls to guide the Warriors home in the 17th over.
An opening blitzkrieg from Troy Ferguson and Nick Fairbank threatened to completely take the game away from Hallora in the B grade T20 grand final, but a horrific collapse following their opening salvo enabled the Kangaroos to claim the flag with a three-wicket win.
Belting a bevy of boundaries in the opening overs, Ferguson (a 19-ball 28) and Fairbank (39 from just 22 balls, including four fours and two sixes) punished the likes of Fraser Duncan (014 from one) and Brett Williams (1-24 off three).
However, the introduction of Grant Duncan and Craig Byrnes into the attack soon turned the game on its head.
Fairbank was the first to fall, Byrnes breaching his defences to disturb the stumps while Ferguson followed soon after – falling to a similar fate off the bowling of Duncan.
From that point on the Halloran bowlers were dominant, claiming 10-49 in the space of 10 overs to dismiss Ellinbank for 118 – Duncan finishing with 3-16 from his quota and Byrnes 2-21.
In reply, Sam Whibley departed early in the chase, as did James Vela, but a 65-run third wicket stand consolidated Hallora’s advantage.
Ryan Williams was in particularly fine form on his way to 45 from just 35 balls, and although Fraser Duncan’s scoring rate wasn’t rapid his ability to keep out some testing bowling was key in putting Hallora in the box-seat.
A brief wobble from the middle order caused by Will Robertson (who snared 2-21) and Stan Harrison (1-23 from four) saw the match come down the final two overs.
Mawgan Penrice struck two boundaries in the 19th over to help Hallora claim the flag, finishing at 7-122.