Bullants on the attack!
Noradjuha-Toolondo Bullants all-rounder Matthew Combe is a picture of concentration as he gets on the front foot to blast the ball through covers during Horsham Cricket Association A Grade action at Horsham City Oval. Combe shone with bat and ball on Saturday as his team dispatched Jung Tigers and followed up with a T20 A Grade premiership against Homers the following day.
The make-up of Horsham Cricket Association’s top four sits on a knife-edge with teams desperate to avoid missing the finals with two home-and-away games remaining.
A five-team competition means all will play in the finals except one and it remains far from certain which outfit will drop out of contention.
Noradjuha-toolondo has continued to shore up its position of red-hot premiership favourite at the top of the A Grade table and Homers are in good shape in second spot.
But third-placed Rupanyup-minyip is only six points or a win ahead of fifth-placed West Wimmera.
Jung Tigers are holding on grimly to fourth position, only three points ahead of the Warriors.
The Bullants underlined their domination of the competition with a T20 grand-final victory over Homers on Sunday night, answering the Pigeons’ 72 with 4-74.
The victory came a day after the Bullants profoundly dispatched the Tigers in a 45-over-a-side game, also at Horsham City Oval.
All-rounder Matt Combe starred with bat and ball as Noradjuha-toolondo clipped 184 and then ran through a depleted Tigers list for 86.
Combe made an unbeaten 82 and
Homers. followed up with a 5-18 haul. Others to do well included Justtin Combe, 33, Kent Hair, 24, Tony Caccaviello, 21, and Anthony Cutter, 3-37.
For the Tigers, only Angus Adams, 20 and 3-37 and Prageeth Malinga
Hewa Pothuwilage, 24 down the list, made a serious impression in the scorebook.
At the same time, Homers scored victory over West Wimmera in a gripping game at Nhill’s Davis Park.
The Pigeons responded to West Wimmera’s 8-174 by passing the target with five wickets down in the 43rd over.
Paddy Mills, 42, Chaminda Gamage, 35, Adam Atwood, 32, top-scored for the winners and Gamage captured 3-21.
The Warriors’ openers Mitch Dahlenburg, 43, and Nathan Alexander, 39, led the West Wimmera effort.
Homers now meet Noradjuha-toolondo in a fascinating clash at Horsham’s Sunnyside Oval, while West Wimmera has a bye.
The desperate Tigers face Rupanyup-minyip, coming off a bye, at Minyip. This week: Homers v Noradjuha-toolondo, Rupanyup-minyip v Jung Tigers at Minyip, West Wimmera, bye. Last week: Noradjuha-toolondo 184 (M. Combe 82, J. Combe 33, K. Hair 24, T. Caccaviello 21; A. Adams 3-43) d Jung Tigers 86 (P. Malinga Hewa Pothuwilage 24, A. Adams 20; M. Combe 5-18, A. Cutter 3-37), Homers 5-175 (P. Mills 42, C. Gamage 35, W. Goudie 32no) d West Wimmera 8-174 (M. Dahlenburg 43, N. Alexander 39, L. Preston 22; C. Gamage 3-21, A. Atwood 3-28). T20 grand final: Noradjuha-toolondo 4-74 d Homers 72 (T. Caccaviello 4-5). Ladder: Noradjuha-toolondo 72 points, 1.44 percent; Homers 54, 1.18; Rupanyup-minyip 39, 0.72; Jung Tigers 36, 0.81; West Wimmera 33, 0.96.