WELL BOWLED: Horsham Saints Black left-arm swing bowler Aiden Lawson finished with impressive figures of 2-25 against Horsham Saints Red in Horsham C Grade competition at the weekend. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
IT was a tale of two underdogs in Horsham C Grade action at the weekend, with third-placed Blackheath-Dimboola and fourth-ranked Horsham Saints Red defying the odds to make it into the grand final.
Both sides batted first against their respective opponents and looked down and out before bouncing back with the ball.
Saints Red posted 145 against Horsham Saints Black on the back of a stellar innings from captain Brendan Bryan, 42, followed by some gritty lower-order batting from Jay Macumber, 32, Matt Grace, 23.
In reply, experienced Saints Black batsmen Brian Bird, 47, and Kevin King, 12, looked at ease before the latter was dismissed by young paceman Riley Williams.
Mark Ferguson was also sensational with the ball, taking 4-18, which included the prize scalp of Bird, who was well caught in the gully by Grace.
Saints Black collapsed in a big way, losing their seven wickets for 30 runs.
In the corresponding semi-final, the Bulls caused a massive shock by knocking reigning premiers Homers out of the finals race, despite only posting 104.
The Pigeons looked well on their way to another C Grade grand final, with Ben Cooke-Harrison, 4-24, and Alan Penfold, 3-24, destroying the opposition batsmen.
But a Mick McGough-inspired fightback helped roll the red hot favourites for just 88.
McGough finished with 4-22, which included a hat-trick with his final three balls to get his side home.