TYRENDARRA and St Andrews overcame their respective opponents and the oppressive heat on the weekend to book their spots in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) A grade grand.

Tyrendarra d Gorae-Portland

HAVING won the coin toss, Tyrendarra was not about to allow Gorae-Portland the opportunity to possibly run through its batting order and the Gorae-Portland players found they were asked to pad up at Monivae Turf.

Finn Saurine (nine) and Sam Roberts gave the side a quick start as Ben Menzel and Lachlan Kirk took the new ball, and the opening batsmen saw off both Kirk and Darren Kilmister inside the first 10 overs.

The introduction of regular opening bowler Sam Wilson paid immediate dividends, as Saurine was caught for nine as Wilson caused the false stroke, before following up in his next over to see the back of Roberts.

With the opening batsmen back in the shed, Gorae-Portland captain, Nick Wills, and Zac Duncan came together and saw the side safely to through the next two drinks breaks without further loss.

The batsmen were content to soak up time as the score crept along until the 31st over when a double blow was inflicted with Duncan caught short of his ground by Jordi Withers and then only two balls later Wills was bowled by Lachlan Kirk for 17.

When Damien Compton fell for only four, half the side was out with only 92 runs on the board and the minor premiers were well on top.

The innings was bolstered by Stephen O’Brien (49), and Sam Atchison (41), who scored 16 boundaries between them as the Darras continued to work through both the batting order and the heat.

The final wicket came in the 59th over with only 180 on the board, as Wilson (4-29) and Kirk (4-34) shared the bowling honours.

There was no rest for Kirk who went back to the middle to open the batting along with Mark Pitt as Gorae-Portland searched for early wickets.

Those wickets never eventuated as the Darras opening pair batted through the 22 overs to end the day and give the team a near strangle hold on the game with 0-45 on the scoreboard.

Sunday dawned with the forecast of more oppressive conditions to come, as the pair took the overnight tally along to 52 before Pitt (32) was caught by Andre Wallace to hand Stephen O’Brien the early breakthrough.

Jake Wilson joined Kirk in the middle and it was more of the same assured batting from the Darras number three as the score moved past 100 and on to 136 when Kirk (38) finally was dismissed from the bowling of Zac Stuchbery.

Wilson (67) and Menzel (duck) followed soon after, before Jordi Withers (12-not-out) and Darras skipper, Cam Mather, (27-not-out) saw the side home to the target with no further loss to book a spot in the big dance with a six-wicket win.

St Andrew’s d Casterton District

ST Andrew’s showed its finals experience at Island Park Turf, as Casterton District failed to take advantage of its home ground advantage, losing by 86 runs.

Russell Elton won the toss for the Drews and the Drews batted first, with Brendan Huf and Michael Fitzpatrick striding to the wicket, as Logan Gibbs and Jacob Edwards took the new ball.

Fitzpatrick likes to get on with the game by scoring quickly, but he is also capable of playing well within himself when the situation calls for it, while Huf values his wicket more than any other player in the competition.

 They took the score to 37 before Huf (12) was caught behind by Oliver Foster to hand Gibbs his first wicket, but Fitzpatrick stayed stoic, as Damien Logan joined him.

They were determined to keep the Maroons bowlers at bay, and they took the score to 120 well after the afternoon tea break before Fitzpatrick (77) lost concentration, as Gibbs held the chance offered to give Kaden Humphries the much needed wicket.

Logan (41), Kane Taylor (34), Liam Walsh (13) all followed the safety-first approach and the score continued to mount until Rick Killey grabbed three wickets and Gibbs another for only one run, as Josh Nield (24-not-out) and Latham Wishart (28-not-out) carried the final tally to 7-236.

When Casterton District batted on Sunday, the players appeared to try to emulate the style of the St Andrew’s batsmen, but Ben Holmes (two) fell in only the fourth over as Wishart struck the early blow.

While the batsmen didn’t collapse quickly, they didn’t score often enough, taking their time in the middle as five of the top six failed to pass three to be 6-48.

Carey Megaw (59) and Michael Jarrad (34) gave the home side some respectability, but the final wicket fell with 150 on the board, as Nield, Elton, and Huf grabbed a brace of wickets apiece to share the honours.