Echuca and Cooma were scheduled to play a semi-final at 10am on Sunday, with the winner to face Bamawm Lockington United in the 2pm grand final.
But, at 7pm on Saturday, Goulburn Murray Cricket officials informed Cooma Cricket Club that it had been disqualified from the competition for playing four non-Cooma players for the tournament — one more than is allowed under GMC rules.
According to Cooma club officials a complaint from the Echuca club about the number of out-of-club players in the Cooma line-up started the process.
An official said the club was under the impression that it was allowed to play three non-Cooma players “per game’’, not for the entire competition.
Cooma won its opening round match of the challenge against Rochester by two wickets, with four deliveries to spare, at Windridge Oval two weeks ago.
In that team were opening batsman-wicket keeper Steve Barrett and all-rounders Michael Hill and Campbell Love.
Barrett is playing with Bendigo United this season, while Love is with the Strathfieldsaye club in the same competition and former Cooma player Hill had not played a competitive cricket match until the Twenty20 challenge.
A fourth player, ironically another former Cooma player, Sam Langley, played in the second round match alongside Barrett and Hill last Thursday against Kyabram Fire Brigade.
Langley is a teammate of Barrett at Bendigo United.
All four players had an impact on the competition, with Hill making 47 and Love taking four wickets in the round one win against Rochester.
Barrett then made a magnificent 126 (from just 58 deliveries, including 15 sixes) in the Fire Brigade match and Langley took a wicket.
Echuca ended up scoring 6-144 in the final after winning the toss and batting. BLU managed only 8-128 in reply.
Melbourne Premier League wicket keeper-batsman Kobyn James made 58 in the match, while Matt Hinks (36) took his season’s runs aggregate to 571.
