DIVISION ONE
Thursday’s Bendigo Country Week final preliminary round clash between Murray Valley and Goulburn Murray will be anything but a dead rubber.
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Two more impressive wins in Wednesday’s third round ensured both teams will play in Friday’s division one grand final no matter what the result is of their fourth round clash at Dower Park on Thursday.
However, with rain forecast for Bendigo on Thursday night, top spot on the ladder could become the deciding factor should Friday’s play be hampered by wet weather.
Murray Valley goes into Thursday’s game as favourite after a third-straight dominant performance.
Murray Valley’s bowlers once again set up the win after they bowled out Emu Valley for just 83.
At 3-67 Emu Valley looked capable of posting a competitive score, but another batting collapse killed off their chances.
Emu Valley lost their final seven wickets for just 16 runs to be bowled out inside 35 overs.
Liam Evans (3-5) and Taylor Pugh (2-7) did the damage for Murray Valley.
Opening batsman Adam Wiffen (85) compiled his second half-century in as many days to lead Murray Valley to 6-198 off 50 overs. 16-year-old Jordan Cleeland showed his talent with a quickfire 45.
Goulburn Murray confirmed its grand final berth when it outplayed Northern Districts.
Goulburn Murray bowled Northern Districts out for 129 at Wade Street before replying with 196.
Josh Waughington (76) and Dylan Cuttriss (43) were the best performers with the bat for Goulburn Murray.
Reigning premier Gisborne scored its first win of the week when it thumped Ferntree Gully at Malmsbury.
Opening bowler Madushanka Ekanayaka was the hero for Gisborne after he took 7-26.
Ferntree Gully had been 0-38 before Ekanayaka caused havoc with the ball.
Nathan Hicks (44) and Tom Boxell (43) were the only Ferntree Gully batsman to score more than 10.
Gisborne responded with 5-224 off 50 overs as opener Mili Sapala batted through the innings and made 84 not out off 128 balls.
The victory lifted Gisborne off the bottom of the ladder and left Emu Valley needing to win its final game on Thursday to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
DIVISION TWO
A brilliant unbeaten century from Luke Filer lifted Castlemaine’s hopes of qualifying for Friday’s division two grand final.
Filer’s 126 not out was the catalyst for Castlemaine’s 92-run win over Grassmere.
Chasing Grassmere’s 6-209 at Wesley Hill, Filer batted through the innings and was involved in a 132-run unbeaten stand for the fifth wicket with Brett Cole. Castlemaine eventually finished 4-301.
Earlier, Grassmere’s total was built around half-centuries from Phil Edwards (55) and Tom Bryce (54).
Castlemaine and Maryborough will now clash in a virtual semi-final on Thursday for the right to play Portland in Friday’s final.
Maryborough kept its final hopes alive after downing Bendigo Colts by 26 runs at Weeroona Oval.
Plenty of Maryborough’s batsmen got starts, but they didn’t go on with it in the team total of 152.
Bendigo looked a good chance of winning, while youngster Josh Williams was at the wicket, but when he fell for a game-high score of 32 the wheels fell off and the home side was dismissed for 126.
Steve Dellavedova (4-23) was the match-winner for Maryborough.
Portland retained its unbeaten status when it defeated a gallant Red Cliffs by 46 runs at Bell Oval.
Jarrod Holt (80) and Michael Blomeley (49) engineered Portland’s total of 8-251 – the second time it has scored more than 250 for the week.
Red Cliffs’ most successful bowler was Seth Lanigan with 4-56.
A 106-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Red Cliffs duo Shannon Bowen and Lachlan Rohde threatened to spoil Portland’s party.
Bowen’s knock of 63 was his third-straight half-century, while Rohde made 73, but when they fell the Red Cliffs’ innings stumbled to 205 all out in the 46th over.
Portland’s Jack Cocks claimed 5-49 to take his carnival tally to 10 wickets.
DIVISION THREE
Colac, Wangaratta and Northern United remain in the hunt for the division three title.
Colac is favourite to earn one of the grand final berths after it won its third-straight game on Wednesday.
Colac’s total of 166, including a fine 53 from Dylan Flanigan, proved too much for Northern United (135) at Harry Trott Oval.
Matt Jeffries and Chris Guinane took three wickets each for Northern United, but their batsmen failed to back up the good bowling effort.
James Harney made 43 late in the innings, but it wasn’t enough for Northern United, which must rely on other results going its way if it’s to make the final.
Wangaratta surged into second spot on the table after demolishing Upper Loddon.
Wangaratta made a carnival-high 5-316, with Luke Whitten (106), Jacob Schonafinger (66) and Jack Davies (63) in fine form.
Mitchell Howe’s incredible carnival with the ball continued as the Wangaratta star took 5-21 in Upper Loddon’s paltry total of 87;. Howe has 15 wickets in three games.
Wangaratta took advantage of a second innings and built its bonus points by posting 6-41.
In the last game of the round, Wimmera-Mallee opened its account with a 38-run win over Grassmere Colts.
Colac and Wangaratta just need to win their final round matches on Thursday to qualify for Friday’s final.
LADDERS
Division one – Murray Valley 47.83, Goulburn Murray 46.80, Northern Districts 21.67, Ferntree Gully 21.02, Gisborne 20.87, Emu Valley 8.64.
Division two – Portland 48.44, Castlemaine 36.65, Maryborough 34.88, Bendigo 22.30, Grassmere 21.25, Red Cliffs 10.67.
Division three – Colac 47.50, Wangaratta 38.39, Northern United 35.07, Wimmera-Mallee 22.30, Grassmere Colts 21.53, Upper Loddon 9.77.
Day four fixture
Division one – Ferntree Gully v Emu Valley at White Hills, Goulburn Murray v Murray Valley at Kangaroo Flat, Northern Districts v Gisborne at Bell Oval.
Division two – Bendigo v Portland at North Bendigo, Grassmere v Red Cliffs at Harry Trott Oval, Castlemaine v Maryborough at Maryborough.
Division three – Northern United v Upper Loddon at Raywood, Wimmera-Mallee v Colac at Golden Square, Wangaratta v Grassmere Colts at QEO.