PANMURE Pups all but secured a finals berth destroying Killarney on the opening day of Saturday's final round match.
The battle between the fourth and fifth-placed teams on the ladder was billed as a finals showdown but the Pups (fourth) seized control early after sending the visitors in to bat.
The Pups dismissed Killarney for 107 and at stumps were 4-119, with Simon Schrama (31 not out) and Bruce Buck (27 not out) anchoring the chase after they came together at 4-50.
Panmure's heroes with the ball were paceman Tom Wright (3-29), off spinner Chris Bant (3-33) and medium pacer Tim Atwell (2-19).
Coach John Bant was delighted with the result.
"It sets us up for the finals. We didn't expect to have it on the first day," he said. Finals were almost out of Bant's thinking before Christmas when his side struggled to get a consistent combination on the park, going to the break with just one win from nine rounds.
But since January the Pups have won four of their games.
"We've had a full-strength team since Christmas," Bant said.
"We were pretty light on there for a while.
"We've managed to hold the team together and win enough games to make the finals, which is what you want to do."
Bant said Wright, a young right-arm pace bowler, set up the win with his crucial early wickets.
He said despite some questionable shots early, his side was aiming to bat for as along as it could next Saturday to ensure Killarney couldn't produce a miracle outright.
Bant said if his side made the finals it would cap a successful season for the club, with two A grade teams, one B grade, C grade and colts teams likely to qualify for post-season action. In what is shaping as an intriguing final day of the regular season, top-side Yambuk will need 194 runs next Saturday to defeat second-placed Purnim, which was dismissed for 193. Purnim finds itself needing a win to cement its spot in the top two, with Panmure Bulldogs making a late charge.
The match at Yambuk was hard-fought, with Brandt Walther (39) and Kade Hancock (33) the best with the bat, while veteran Gary BartletT (4-39), Kurt Buchanan (3-32) and Scott Bartlett (2-46) the pick of the bowlers.
Cellar-dweller Wangoom has given the Bulldogs a challenging run chase next week, which could derail the Bulldogs' charge at a top-two spot.
A hard-hitting 92 from middle-order batsman Duncan Craw set up Wangoom's 262 . Craw smacked seven sixes and eight boundaries in his knock, which included an 82-run sixth-wicket partnership with Simon Moore (26). Openers Corey McKenzie (44) and Mark White (39) set the foundation with an 85-run partnership for the first wicket.
The Bulldogs' Dominic Kocherhans was the best of the bowlers with 4-60. His side will need a further 243 runs on Saturday after making a safe start to the chase, going to stumps at 0-16.
Jostling for finals spots continued in B grade, with fifth-placed Wangoom making a bold play to secure fourth in its match against bottom side Woolsthorpe. Wangoom, chasing bonus points, declared at 7-232 off 53 overs, thanks largely to Troy McKenzie (72) and Nick Kermond (59). At stumps Woolsthorpe was 1-24.
The bid might be thwarted by fourth-placed Panmure, which is well on the way to a win against Yambuk. Panmure will resume next week at 2-41 in pursuit of 95 for victory.
Hawkesdale worked its way into favouritism to finish on top, dismissing Killarney for 114 and getting to 1-54 at stumps.
Top side Mailors Flat needs 245 next week to claim the minor premiership after third-placed Purnim gave itself a good chance of remaining in the four.
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