THE B and C grades have combined to form the one grade again this year, with B graded sides playing each other most weeks, with C grade sides also playing their own level opponents, which has distorted the ladder with two of the three B grade sides underperforming.

Tahara leads the combined grade, amassing 69 points and is all but guaranteed the semi-final weekend off with the finals set-up giving the top seeded B grade side direct entry to the final, while the other two – at this stage College and St Andrew’s – will face-off in a semi-final.

With both sides sitting in the bottom four, it is the C grade sides which are dominating the top eight.

Grampians sits second on the ladder and is the highest ranked C grade team, largely thanks to skipper, Eddie McShane (336), who is the only batsman to score more than 300 runs - averaging 84, and also grabbing 14 wickets for the Pumas.

Hamilton North’s Darren Groves and Branxholme’s Andrew McFarlane have both started the season strongly, each scoring 296 runs up to the Christmas break.

Ash Kearney has impressed for Tarrington, claiming 13 wickets, while teammate, Craig Jackson, has 10 to his name, along with Tahara’s Marcus Rhook and Alexander Prentice from Grampians.

Adding some complexity to the grade is Macarthur’s promotion from D grade, slotting into fifth spot ahead of the final game of 2023, before the Demons won the game against Hamilton and moved up into fourth position.

The C grade sides should provide a more competitive challenge for Macarthur, and it remains to be seen if they will keep themselves in the finals mix after the Christmas break.

The BC grade season will resume on January 13 with the final home and away game set for March 2.

Semi-finals will be played on March 9, with the season decider to be played on March 16.

The B grade winner will then play the Portland B grade winner on March 23.