YAMBUK and Grassmere will meet in Grassmere Cricket Association’s one-day final.
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The Buks and Meerkats both recorded wins in the final one-day round on Saturday to book their spots in Sunday’s decider.
Yambuk celebrated a 145-run thumping of Mailors Flat to finish the one-day season atop the ladder.
Reigning association cricketer of the year Steve Gleeson made 105 — bringing his season average to an impressive 98.3.
Gleeson has scored two tons and two half-centuries from six visits to the crease.
He shared in a 110-run opening partnership with Ben Julius (69) and an unfinished 141-run second-wicket stand with Kevin Watts (69 not out) as Yambuk posted an imposing 1-251.
Sean Peterson then took 3-10, restricting the Jets to 8-106 in reply.
Grassmere’s nine-wicket win against Hawkesdale was enough to secure its one-day final spot.
Murray Habel’s 62 enabled the Cats to cobble together 132.
Meerkat pair Braden Hotker (61 not out) and Craig Spikin (58) put on a match-winning second-wicket partnership in reply.
Grassmere skipper Chris Lenehan, who took 3-17, said the Meerkats were thrilled to be back in one-day contention.
Their most recent one-day triumph was in 2008-09 against Mailors Flat.
“We had a slow start to the year with numbers and the last few weeks we’ve had a full side in and had a couple of good games,” Lenehan said.
Grassmere and Yambuk are yet to play each other this season.
“We got washed out against them so we haven’t played them,” Lenehan said.
“I said to the boys ‘any finals game is a good experience’.
“To play in the one-day final means you’ve had a reasonable start to the year and you’re sitting first or second on the ladder and that’s a bonus too.”
Panmure notched a 77-run win against Purnim in the other match with one-day final implications.
The Meerkats’ superior percentage pushed the Bulldogs out of finals contention despite their win.
Bulldog Chris Bant made 77 as Panmure set the Bulls 6-168.
Purnim was dismantled for 91 with number seven bat Bernard Dooley’s unbeaten 41 the only resistance.
Killarney posted a five-wicket win against Wangoom.
The Roosters were bundled out for 113, with Brayden Buchanan the pick of the Crabs’ bowlers with 3-19.
Killarney scrambled together 5-125 before declaring in the 25th over.
justine.mc@fairfaxmedia.com.au