Echuca disposed of Echuca South by 119 runs at Rochester, while Moama, on its home ground, fended off Bamawm-Lockington United to win by 33 runs.
Batting first Echuca recovered from 2-5 to post 201 with Aiden Young top scoring with 58.
He was best supported by Kobyn James (38) and Charlie Hinks (37).
South bowlers Asantha Singappuli took 6-48 off a marathon 30 overs, with 10 maidens and AK Gunathilaka 4-54 off 15.3 overs.
But their superb efforts proved to be in vain when South’s batters fell for 82 in 53.1 overs with Young and Brendan Moyle both claiming three wickets for Echuca.
· BLU made Moama earn its win.
With middle order batters Anthony McMahon and Matt Saunders showing the way with 58 and 57 respectively and skipper Joel Murphy chipping in with 39, Moama, batting first, posted 230.
BLU was 1-54 and 3-129 at stages in reply, but once skipper and opener Regis Chakabva fell for 39, Declan Pearse for 20 and Werner Brand for a top score of 58 the Moama bowlers got back on top to deliver a 33-run win and a shot at the flag against Echuca at Rochester this weekend.
B-grade - Goulburn
Fire Brigade’s semi-final score of 101 wasn’t enough to stop Stanhope from progressing to the final.
The home side answered with 6-102 with an unbeaten 33 from Luke Twynstra and handy knocks from Hamish Stewart and Craig Emmett, both with 21, turning the game in their team’s favour.
Veteran Jarrod Capman tried hard to get his side back into the game with 3-17 from eight overs, but The Flames didn’t have enough runs on the board.
The Flames won the toss and batted, but only openers Sam Spedding with 30 and Matt Owen (16) and Rikki Busch (15) battled hard for runs against the varied Stanhope attack which had three bowlers taking three wickets.
Lachy West took 3-7 off eight overs, Aden Cheong 3-15 off seven overs and Jayke Fisher 3-26 off four overs as the Brigade bats fell in 39.2 overs.
Stanhope now takes on Echuca for the flag at Tongala this Saturday.
Echuca won the other semi-final in a thriller against BLU.
Ben Reid’s dominate knock of 75 enabled BLU to post 149 which Echuca covered with five balls and one wicket remaining in a pulsating finish.
Rory Carlile with an unbeaten 43 did what he could to snatch the win for BLU.
B-grade - Murray
Rex Taylor steered Girgarre into the season decider with a fighting knock under pressure against Leitchville Gunbower.
The Roos lost early wickets after winning the toss and batting, but Taylor’s knock of 71 off 103 balls with six fours and a six steered his team to a competitive total of 8-150.
Then the Girgarre bowlers went to work and headed by Ryley Cowley with 4-14 skittled LG in 20 overs for 64 runs to earn his team the right to play off for the flag this Saturday.
· Colbinabbin was toasting Sam Ryan after his team had made a winning comeback against Echuca South in the other semi-final.
Only opener Hamish Hooppell with 35 off 21 balls had offered any serious resistance in Colbo’s top order until Ryan arrived at the crease and proceeded to slam an unbeaten 63 with six fours and two sixes as Colbo posted 9-155 off its 40 overs.
In reply Echuca South could muster only 131 with Jason Scott with 42 the batting maintstay with most support from Nick McKenna with 26.
Opening bowlers Tyler McNamara with 3-18 off eight overs and Jack Teasedale with 3-22 off 7.2 overs did the damage with the ball for Colbo which now tackles Girgarre for the flag at Bamawm this Saturday.
C-grade
Ky Fire Brigade made short work of covering Stanhope’s score of 8-123, losing two wickets in securing the win in 19 overs.
Opener Corey Carver with an unbeaten 54 with seven fours and three sixes and Kaleb Williams with 41 secured victory for their side.
Steve Hall was the shining light in Stanhope’s innings with an unbeaten 37, while Jack Elliott with 3-28 was the most successful Brigade bowler.
· The other semi went down to the wire with Moama holding on to beat Echuca by one run.
Fire Brigade will host Moama in the final this Saturday.
D-grade
Rushworth and Echuca will play off for the flag at Tongala’s Brose Oval this Saturday after semi-final wins on Saturday.
Rushworth restricted Cooma to 82 due to fine spells of bowling from Regan Hanson who took 5-18 off 7.4 overs and Brodie Shepherd with 3-4 off four overs.
Archer Backway with 33 and Bailey Hiscock with 25 were the only two Cooma batters to make it to double figures.
Then Peter “The Old Master” Raglus with an unbeaten 29 off 62 balls opening the innings and supported by Josh Francis (20) executed the win for Rushworth in 23.1 overs for the loss of two wickets.
Rushworth’s opponent in the season decider is Echuca which scrambled a one-wicket semi-final win in a low-scoring clash with BLU.
BLU could manage only a meagre 39, but it took Echuca nine batters to cover this score and book its spot in the final against Rushworth.
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