Bullants favourites, Panthers slip in
Dunmunkle outfit Rupanyupminyip will enter a Horsham Cricket Association A Grade grand final this weekend as raging underdog.
This is despite the Blue Panthers casually slipping into the season finale with a surprisingly one-sided semifinal victory over Homers.
The enterprising team, filled with some of the most talented emerging cricketers in the region, blasted its way into the season decider at the weekend.
But the side takes on a seasoned Noradjuha-toolondo team, which has spent most of the summer living up to its reputation as competition benchmark.
Last weekend at Dimboola, Rupanyup-minyip ripped the heart out of Homers premiership plans, bowling the Pigeons out for 88 and then passing the target with only four wickets down.
Bowlers took it in turns to be destroyers, with Lachie Weidemann, 3-17, Connor Weidemann, 2-17 and Bailey Young, 3-18, causing early havoc. Caeleb Leith also chimed in with 2-23.
The only Pigeons to offer considerable resistance with the bat were opener Paddy Mills with 32 and tailender Joey Nagorcka, 19 not out.
Homers then attempted to stay in the game, Baxter Perry quickly removing openers Jake Leith and Jeremy Byrne.
But Connor Weidemann, unbeaten on 38, Daniel Schaper, 23, and Mark Mbofana, 17 not out, ensured and Blue Panthers continued their path to the final.
The other semi-final between Noradjuha-toolondo and West Wimmera at Horsham City Oval ultimately represented a tough hit-out the Bullants were seeking.
A determined West Wimmera, after making 8-163, made the Bullants work overtime and players only determined a result in the dying overs of the day.
Opener Josh Beddison made a gamehigh 56 for the winners and Matt Combe, 34, and it was a 48-run unbeaten partnership between Tony Caccaviello, 21, and Kent Hair, 25, that sealed the deal.
Caccaviello’s efforts were fitting considering on Saturday night he won the association’s Cec Hopper Medal, the highest individual accolade on offer in the competition.
This weekend others such as Justtin Combe, Shane Oakley and Troy Dumesny will also want to get among the runs, while Caccaviello, John Heard, Jordan Mcdonald and Anthony Cutter probe for wickets.
West Wimmera’s efforts were admirable considering the Warriors last-minute push into finals and that Nathan Alexander and Mitch Dehlenburg went cheaply at the weekend.
Liam Preston, 38, Brad Alexander 31 not out, and Liam Albrecht, Austin Smith and Travis Polkinghorne, all helped their team recover and bowlers challenged the Bullants.
The grand final is the showcase of Horsham district cricket and action will start at Horsham City Oval from 1pm on Saturday.
Saturday will be a big day of cricket in Horsham with a B Grade final between Laharum and Horsham Saints and a C Grade clash between West Wimmera and Horsham Saints Black.
Association award-winners – A Grade: Cec Hopper Medal for champion all-rounder based on runs, wickets and catches, Tony Caccaviello; batting aggregate, Justtin Combe 413 at 41.3; batting average, Mitchell Dahlenburg, 386 at 42.89; bowling average and aggregate, Tony Caccaviello 32 wickets at 7.94; man of the match award, Mitchell Dehlenburg. B Grade: Alan ‘Jock’ Mcrae medallist, Josh Colbert; batting aggregate, Josh Colbert, 386 at 38.6; batting average, Brad Couch 310 at 44.29; bowling aggregate and average, Brendan Marrs 22 at 8.14; man of the match, Josh Colbert, Sam Polack. C Grade: Ivan Morrison Medallist, Lulu Kuriakose; batting aggregate,
Rod Kirkwood 277 at 66.25; batting average, Nathan Schorback 219 at 73; bowling aggregate, Archer Laverty 16 and 11; man of the match, Lulu Kuriakose. Juniors: Under-16.5: Champion player, Xavier Bone; champion bat, Xavier Bone 257 at 42; champion bowler, Nathan Hughes, 9 at 4.56; under-14, champion player, Harrison Hoffmann. Other awards: Hall of Fame inductee, Rowan Scott; Ellie Flack Memorial for outstanding service to cricket, Andrew Sostheim; Footscray-edgewater Cricket Club Junior Development Award, Lachlan Weidemann.
This week: Grand finals, A Grade, Noradjuha-toolondo Bullants v Rupanyup-minyip, Horsham City Oval; B Grade, Laharum v Horsham Saints, Coughlin Park; C Grade, West Wimmera v Horsham Saints Black, Cornell Park.
Last week: Semi-finals, A Grade, Noradjuha-toolondo 5-167 (J. Beddison 56, M. Combe 34, K. Hair, 25no) d West Wimmera 8-163 (L. Preston 38, B. Alexander 31no); Rupanyup-minyip 4-92 (C. Weidemann 38no) d Homers 88 (P. Mills 32; L. Weidemann 3-17, B. Young 3-18).
B Grade, Laharum 3-74 (D. Griffiths 29) d Colts 72 (D. Arnott 30; R. Lane 3-4), Horsham Saints 8-149 (R. Vekariya 50no, G. Davidson 41; B. Marrs 3-27).
C Grade, West Wimmera 153 (A. Dickinson 46, J. Dickinson 40, J. Crowhurst 30; T. Brand 3-16) d Quantong 90 (T. Brand 41; N. Sparling 4-15, J. Dickinson 4-18), Horsham Saints Black 5-201 (J. Joseph 51no, B. Sleep 51no, A. Danaha 36) d Blackheath-dimboola 9-119 (N. Schorback 40).