SEDGWICK'S dream of a fairytale first Emu Valley Cricket Association premiership in its centenary season is still alive after winning its way through to another grand final.

The Rams defeated Emu Creek by three wickets in their semi-final at Club Court at the weekend and for the second year in a row will meet Spring Gully in the grand final.

Sedgwick bounced back superbly with the ball on Saturday - bowling Emu Creek out for less than half of what the Emus made against the Rams in the final round.

Coming off a round 12 score of 318 against Sedgwick, this time with the stakes much higher the Emus could muster just 148 after winning the toss.

Opener Shane Hamilton and star Jeremy Brown both made centuries against the Rams in their previous match, but this time combined for just 31 runs.

Hamilton was trapped lbw by Quinton Bentley (1-29) for 20 and Brown bowled by Peter Moore (1-32) for 11 - two of five wickets the Emus lost before the tea break.

Wickets tumbled regularly throughout the Emus' innings apart from a 50-run partnership either side of the tea break between Tyrone Downie (37) and Brad Rowe (28) for the sixth wicket.

Following the two early wickets of dangermen Hamilton and Brown, the Rams turned the screws when the Emus lost Luke Bennett (13), Julian Lake (12) and captain Todd Brown (4) to fall from 2-57 to 5-64.

Emu Creek later lost its last three wickets for just eight runs to be all out in the 58^th over.

Justin Hancock (3-12) finished off the Emus' innings with the last three wickets for Sedgwick, which also had Daniel Chamberlain (2-17) and Jordan Ilsley (2-17) take two apiece.

Sedgwick veteran Andrew Sheehan (1-5) dried the runs up, with his economical seven overs costing just five runs.

The Rams went to stumps on day one at 2-38, with Sheehan (7) and Greg Thomas (6) the batsmen dismissed.

Sedgwick lost a further five wickets on Sunday before reaching 7-151 to book its berth in its fifth grand final in the past 11 years - and deny the Emus the chance of winning a premiership in their return season to division one.

The bulk of the Rams' runs were scored by Chamberlain (41), youngster Bailey Ilsley (30) and all-rounder Jordan Ilsley (29 n.o.).

Chamberlain's contribution of 41 and 2-17 for the Rams came against his former team, with the all-rounder having previously captained Emu Creek to the 2013 premiership.

With less than 150 on the board to defend, the Emus gave themselves a glimmer when the Rams lost 4-16 to go from 2-98 to 6-114 before Jordan Ilsley and veteran Scott McKenzie (8) put Sedgwick back on track.

Downie (3-32) was the only multiple wicket-taker for the Emus. 

* Spring Gully lived up to its top-of-the-ladder status, comfortably accounting for United by 102 runs.

Two of the competition's standout performers this season both made their presence felt on Saturday - Spring Gully's Rhys Webb with the bat and United's Harry Whittle with the ball.

Webb's outstanding season continued for the Crows with a knock of 81 in Spring Gully's tally of 247 after it won the toss at home.

Coming in with the score 1-24, Webb struck 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 133-ball innings.

Webb's 81 took his season tally to 810 runs at an average of 73.6, with his innings ending when he was caught by Joe Hartney at mid-on off Rob Gilchrist (1-27).

Webb was part of a 109-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Joel Bish (43).

The other key stand for the Crows was skipper Alex Sutton (28) and Byron Perrin (36) adding a steadying 57 for the sixth wicket.

Sutton and Perrin began their partnership with the Crows having lost 4-26 after they slipped from a comfortable 1-133 to 5-159.

The Crows were bowled out with two balls remaining in their final over when Tigers' skipper Whittle picked up his sixth wicket.

Whittle was rewarded for his 31.4 overs of toil with figures of 6-101, taking his season tally to 37 wickets.

Whittle's semi-final six-for featured four caught, one lbw and one bowled, while he also top-scored in the Tigers' unsuccessful run-chase on Sunday.

The Tigers' chances were dashed early when they crashed to 6-56 before their last four wickets added a further 89 to push their final tally to 145, with their innings ending in the 51^st over.

The gallant Whittle capped a superb captain's game by finishing 59 n.o. off 75 balls, striking seven boundaries and one six.

But the Tigers didn't have enough contributors, with Xavier Walsh (28) and James Smith (22) the only other players to reach double figures.

Highlighting the fickle nature of cricket, a week after scoring 136 against West Bendigo, United opener Patrick Hartney (0) was bowled by James Fox (1-17) for a second-ball duck.

Nick Skeen (3-23) and Saheed Akolade (3-39) both bagged three wickets for the Crows, while Webb followed up his 81 from Saturday by taking 1-10 off seven overs, as well as three catches.

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