AFTER being promoted to the Hamilton and District Cricket BC grade midway through the 2023-24 season, Macarthur has earned a place in the C grade finals despite losing its last game of the home and away season.

Casterton District d Macarthur

CASTERTON District made the most of the home ground advantage at Wando Vale Recreation Reserve as the Maroons accounted for Macarthur by 50 runs on Saturday.

Macarthur won the toss and sent Casterton District to bat first, and the Maroons scored at just shy of five runs an over to post 8-199 from its allotted overs.

Jake Tomkins was in no mood to hang around, smashing 12 boundaries and three maximums in his 67-ball knock of 89, before Matt Timms and Bingham Jarrett combined to run him out.

Kane Forbes registered a run-a-ball 35 at number three to get the Maroons off to a strong start to the innings, but it was Tomkins that dominated, as Darcy Jones (2-42) and Timms (2-35) grabbed a brace of wickets each to be the best of the visitor’s attack.

After the tea break Macarthur started the chase with Chris Moutray and Ian Brilley in the middle and the pair added 21 for the first wicket before Moutray (19) was bowled by Tomkins.

Brilley was joined by Timms, and the pair saw the Demons through to the drinks break without further loss, but Brilley (26) offered Mark Penny a return catch and Timms (40) was gone only a run later, as Penny bowled the all-rounder.

The score was 4-85 as Riley Dark (zero) became Penny’s third wicket in a devastating spell that wrecked Macarthur’s top order.

The last six wickets fell for only an additional 64 runs, as the home side wrapped up third place on the C grade ladder when Tomkins took the final of his three wickets to end the Demons innings at 149.

Macarthur will travel to Dunkeld Turf to battle Grampians next weekend in the first semi-final, while Casterton District is away to Hamilton at Dahl Turf.

Tahara d Hamilton

BOTH these teams had secured a spot in their respective finals and this match at Tahara Recreation Reserve acted as a warm-up for those finals for each team.

Hamilton won the toss and sent Tahara into bat on a venue that is like all others in the district, dry and quick as the Bluecaps scored freely.

After Keiran Barker (13) fell with 13 on the board, Josh Pepper (54) and Brad Gauci combined for a 100-run second wicket stand before Pepper fell.

Hamish Myers didn’t bother the scorers, but Marcus Rhook joined Gauci and the pair notched twin tons and shared a partnership of 198 for the fourth wicket.

Rhook (104) was bowled by Brody Giggs from only 86 balls after he struck 17 boundaries and a six, while Gauci carried on reaching 127-not-out from 111 balls with 12 boundaries and four maximums.

The home side posted a mammoth 5-336 with Gauci and Rhook posting their second centuries of the season to lead the way.

In reply, Hamilton was not going to die wondering, as Nick O’Brien (49), Robbie Cook (34), Tyler Ellis (55), and Isaac Shaw (58) all attacked the Tahara bowlers.

The final tally of 7-256 also saw Kaeden Murphy strike 28 runs from only 24 balls, as the youngster matched his older teammates against an A grade standard bowling attack.

Tahara now advances straight into the B grade grand final, while Hamilton hosts Casterton District at home in the C grade semi-final.

Grampians d Branxholme

GRAMPIANS finished as C grade minor premiers with an easy victory against Branxholme at Branxholme Recreation Reserve.

Sent into bat after losing the toss, the home side capitulated against Levi Templeton (4-15) to be all out for only 110, as Andrew McFarlane (37) top-scored yet against for the Bulls.

When it came time to chase the target, Templeton (47-not-out) and Greg Millard (53-not-out) made short work of the target, as the runs came without loss of wicket inside 24 overs.

Grampians hosts Macarthur at Dunkeld Turf next Saturday, while Branxholme will be hoping the HDCA can secure a stand-alone C grade competition next summer.

Tarrington d Byaduk

TARRINGTON completed a strong season at Christie Oval against Byaduk, as the Tigers finished with a 7-7 win-loss record from their first season in the higher grade, defeating the home side by nine wickets.

Sent into bat after the Tigers won the toss, the Ducks struggled to get its run rate above three runs per over, as the home side finished with 4-149 thanks to 75 from Lachlan Holcombe and 50-not-out from Will Kinghorn.

In reply, the Tigers hunted down the target with six overs to spare, as Dylan Bensch (87-not-out) and Andrew O’Connor (37-not-out) ensured the points were safe.

O’Connor has had an exceptional last four games with 320 runs and was dismissed just once.

St Andrew’s Saints d Hamilton North

IT hasn’t been the summer St Andrew’s had planned when the season started, but defeat of Hamilton North at Pedrina Park would have reduced the pain.

Sent into bat, the Saints tallied 6-154 from their allotted overs thanks to a fine 60-not-out from Tom Morton and 45 from Craig Dimond, who both opened the batting adding 75 for the first wicket.

When Hamilton North came to bat, only Sam Groves (26) scored over 20, but the side was cruising to victory after 23 overs with 5-102 showing on the scoreboard.

Enter Simon Dickson for his second over.

Bowling left arm spin, Dickson proceeded to claim a double hat-trick (four wickets in four balls).

He removed Robert Jacobson (13) caught and bowled; Michael Doherty bowled, his hat-trick wicket came when Simon Van Kalken held the catch in slips offered by David Simpson, and finally Van Kalken sent the side into raptures by holding a catch from Jesse Webster.

Dickson returned the incredible figures of four overs, three maidens, four wickets for only one run and the run was a wide.

The last five wickets fell for only nine runs, as the Hammers were dismissed for 111 and its season brought to a premature close, as the side missed the finals by a point.

College d St Andrew’s

COLLEGE reversed the result of the previous round against St Andrew’s at Mitchell Park, as the Eagles posted a bonus point victory.

Max St John scored a run-a-ball 61-not-out, as the College team was bowled out for 167 on the final ball of its allotted 40 overs.

Aiden Brown (4-34) and Heath Pither (3-47) grabbed the bulk of the wickets for the Drews.

St Andrew’s couldn’t match its batting performance of the previous round, and were held to 5-120 from its 40 overs, as Nick Emsley (5) and Fraser Hill (39-not-out) top-scored.

The Drews and Eagles meet again next Saturday at College Turf with the winner to play Tahara in the grand final.