HDCA

LED by 15-year-old opening bowler Jedd Rhook, Casterton District routed Byaduk for only 58 inside 28 overs and secured their place in the 2022/23 Hamilton District Cricket Association C Grade grand final.

Byaduk chose to bat first after winning the toss and its batsmen wore a path to and from the wicket, as Rhook (5-12) made a mockery of the semi-final match, producing career-best bowling figures.

Only Adam Mirtschin (17) and Lachie Holcombe (14) posted double figures, as Byaduk failed to come to terms with the Island Park turf wicket, recording its lowest score of the summer.

After the break, the Maroons lost only one wicket in chasing down the target, but it did take the home side until the 27th over to get there.

Opener Tom Holcomb fell for just nine after the first hour of play, before Rhook (15-not-out) joined Mark Penny (31-not-out) to guide the Maroons home.

 Spectators could be forgiven for thinking that time has stood still for the past 12 months, with the Maroons to face St Andrew’s in this weekend’s grand final, Casterton District, just as it was last summer.

St Andrew’s Saints def Grampians

THIS match was the closest game of the weekend, as the Saints won by only six at Pedrina Park 1.

Greg Millard won the toss for Grampians and sent the Saints in to bat on the synthetic surface and Rylan Pech and Craig Dimond found no trouble navigating the first 15 overs, as the run rate stood at around four.

Pech was the first to go for 26 with 60 on the board after Lachie Phillips snuck one through Pech’s defence, but Dimond carried on to post 58 before falling with 108 on the board.

Barry Pech swung heartily to score at a run-a-ball pace to finish on 53-not-out, as the Saints posted 8/182, with Phillips grabbing 3-44 to take the bowling honours.

Grampians replied with strong start of its own, as Millard (40) and Campbell Glazebrook (52) added 55 for the first wicket when Millard was caught by Nathan Flack from the bowling of Scott Keatley at the end of the 14th over.

The Pumas carried the innings to the drinks break with no further loss, but after the resumption Craig Templeton (21), Ash Read (three), Ollie Fenwick (13) and finally Glazebrook all fell as the score stood at 5-136 in the 32nd over.

Needing 47 runs from 52 balls and with five wickets in hand, the Pumas should have comfortably won the match, but the Saints attack refused to be dominated and when the final over started, 15r runs were required and it wasn’t to be, as the Pumas fell six runs short. Casterton District and St Andrew’s will face off for the season title at Melville Oval from 1pm, this Saturday.