IT WILL come down to the final regular season round of Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade season to determine the fourth side that will take part in finals.
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The top three sides had already ensured their places in finals prior to round 12 and Laharum could have locked themselves into fourth with a win against Jung Tigers, but it was not to be.
After a strong bowling performance on day one the Tigers were well placed at the start of the second day.
The side had nine wickets in hand and had to knock off just 106 more runs to secure the vital six first innings points. Marty Knight and Brett Jensz looked comfortable against the Demons attack early after starting the day on 30 and 12 respectively. The pair took the score to 91 before Josh Mahoney gave Laharum a glimmer of hope when he removed Jensz for 34.
Jung continued to work its way towards its target of 168 undeterred by losing Tyler Neville, 19, with the score on 130. The experienced duo of Knight and Steven Leith saw the side to its target before Leith promptly departed.
Knight continued on to a score of 76 before he was Daniel Griffiths’ second victim of the day. By the time the Tigers were all out for 196 they had lost 7-28 with John Doyle claiming 4-23 and Griffiths finishing with 3-15.
Laharum were sent back in to bat a further 29 overs before the side ended the day on 5-116. Ben Peucker hit his way to 44 while Damien Bunworth managed 38. The result means just one point separates the fourth-placed Laharum from the fifth-placed Jung on the ladder.
An almost chanceless career-high score of 145 by Matt Combe was not enough to lift the Horsham Saints to victory against Homers at Sunnyside. Matt came to the crease early as the Saints looked to chase down a target of 277 to win.
His innings was well supported by Corey Smith, 20, and Austin Smith, 20, but it was a blistering 24 from Josh Hedt that gave the Saints late hope of an unlikely victory.
The Saints needed 84 of 51 balls when Hedt came to the crease. He and Matt put on 56 for the seventh wicket before both batsmen fell in 73rd over to the bowling of Jarred Combe, 5-70.
Up until Hedt came to the crease the Homers attack had stifled any hopes the Saints had of scoring quickly. Craig Britten and Eddie Landwehr bowled tightly without luck early before the Homers’ spin attack cashed in on a wicket that was providing plenty of assistance.
It was one-way traffic as Rup-Minyip secured an outright win against Blackheath-Dimboola at Dimboola. The home side struggled right from the word go as it only had nine available batsmen. Brent Hudson took 4-17 as Blackheath-Dimboola was rolled for 76 in the first innings and the side was all out for 90 within 26 overs in its second innings.