Warriors, Bullants go head-to-head
West Wimmera Warriors and Noradjuha-toolondo Bullants are going head-to-head for a Horsham Cricket Association two-day premiership this weekend.
The two A Grade sides met in the first two-day round, with West Wimmera winning outright.
Established as the teams to beat early this season, the Bullants did not lose a game after that round, and the Warriors lost only one game.
Bullants’ Matt Combe is starring this year and will provide a challenge for Warriors’ batters Nathan and Brad Alexander in the grand final.
In the semi-final against Rupanyup-minyip, the Bullants won in the first innings after declaring at 5-176.
The bowling combination of Combe, 4-20, and Justtin Combe, 4-13, was a standout.
Blue Panthers’ batters struggled to establish a steady partnership, with Dylan Eats, 18, and Lachlan Weidemann, 12, scoring the most runs for the team.
Within 42 overs, Rupanyup-minyip was all out for 74 runs.
Matthew Combe backed up his bowling stats with 84 runs, helping his team to a 176-run total.
Damiano Boddi took 2-17 for RupanyupMinyip to slow the Bullants, but it was not enough to stop their win in the 37th over.
West Wimmera defeated Homers in the first innings after making 127 runs to Homers’ 96. The Warriors returned to bat in the second innings and the game concluded when they had made 6-82.
Alexander, 34 and Jeremy Weeks, 33, were top scorers for the Warriors.
Homers’ bowlers Mark Mbofana and Chaminda Gamage were impressive with 5-35 and 4-28, respectively.
Alexander was a force when Homers went into bat, taking 5-22.
Rupanyup-minyip and Laharum will battle for a B Grade premiership title.
Laharum’s semi-final effort has set them up for a strong push into the final after a century from Ben Peucker.
The Blue Panthers will look to Clinton Midgley to continue his hard work when bowling after he took 7-29 against Horsham Saints at the weekend.
In C Grade, West Wimmera Warriors will face Homers in the grand final.
Warriors’ Ash Dickinson, 2-5 and Jordan Gurry, 2-7 are heading into the weekend full of confidence after solid performances on Saturday.
Homers’ Clinton Garwood took 4-3 against Laharum and will be one to watch against the Warriors. This week: A Grade, Saturday and Sunday – West Wimmera Warriors v Bullants, Horsham City Oval. B Grade, Saturday – Rupanyup-minyip v Laharum, Coughlin Park Horsham. C Grade, Saturday – Homers v West Wimmera Warriors, Dimboola Road Oval, Horsham. Last week: A Grade – Bullants 5-176 (M. Combe 84, D, Boddi 2-17) d RupanyupMinyip 74 (J. Combe 4-13, M. Combe 4-20); West Wimmera Warriors 127 (N. Alexander 34, J. Weeks 33, M. Mbofana 5-35, C. Gamage 4-28) and 6-82 d Homers 96 (N. Alexander 5-22, X. Bone 5-61). B Grade – Rupanyup-minyip 87 (H. Talbot 28, N. Hudson 25, J. Carroll 4-18, A. Laffy 4-28, B. Hamerston 2-36) d Horsham Saints 61 (M. Crafter 38, C. Midgley 7-29, L. Funcke 2-9) and 4-78 (R. Kirkwood 45, B. Hudson 2-45); Laharum 6-259 (B. Peucker 123, D. Griffiths 58, C. Newell 2-32) d LubeckMurtoa 133 (J. Hedt 47, J. Mahoney 4-55, T. Hilbig 2-10, J Hoffmann 2-22). C Grade – West Wimmera Warriors 1-82 (J. Dickinson 29, J. Gurry 26, A. Dickinson 26) d Quantong 80 (P. Brand 29, A. Dickinson 2-5, J. Gurry 2-7, D. Charry 2-15); Homers 111 (J. Borlase 3-8, A. Marra 2-30) def Laharum 80 (C. Garwood 4-3, H. Dougherty 2-13).