THE race for South West Cricket’s division one premiership is down to four sides after the regular season finished with predictable results.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A century from Shane Hutchins helped Noorat claim second spot on the ladder with a thumping win over Woorndoo.
Hutchins made 106 as his side destroyed Woorndoo. Chasing 63 for victory, Noorat finished at 9-361 with Hutchins, captain Wil Pomorin (79) and evergreen Dave Conheady (75) in sparkling form.
Tim Place’s decision to abandon an experiment with off-spinners and return to medium-pacers helped Pomborneit claim top spot on the ladder.
Place picked up 5-22 off 10 overs as the Bulls dismissed Terang for 80 in the 25th over before Pomborneit completed the win by scoring 129.
Captain David Murphy said he was pleased his side had completed the regular season in good form. He said Place’s height gave him an advantage on a seaming wicket. “We went into the game trying to get the points because if we lost we could have slipped to third,” he said.
“They came out pretty hard. Liam Geary and Tom McKenzie threw the bat pretty hard early. They had 40 off the first 10 overs so I was really pleased to pull it back and have them out for 80.”
He said former skipper Steve Castle had returned to form with a composed 25 while teenager Cody Dudman top-scored with 30, rounding out a big season that has included 329 runs and 38 wickets at an average of 8.32. Pomborneit faces fourth-placed Bookaar in a semi-final at Camperdown on Saturday after Bookaar (94) was no match for third-placed Mortlake (8-161). Noorat and Mortlake square off in a semi-final at Terang.
Heytesbury Rebels finished fifth on the ladder after a 153-run win over Boorcan and Cobden (120) had a tight win over Simpson (97).