Technically, this was its final three days, with a Thursday evening fixture and another early on Saturday morning.
Rochester was just barely out of time to rely on results going its way to figure into finals, but did its business and did it well at Nathalia’s expense in the midweek game.
Alice Caldow and Rebecca Wade combined for six poles and a stunning two runs put together as the visitors could never get out of second gear chasing 142 and ultimately fell 50 short.
Rochester came level with two other clubs on 102 points, but there was no path through as Mooroopna, also assured of its fate but in a completely different way, welcomed Moama to town for the standalone Saturday kickoff.
The Cats’ bowling prowess yet again took centre stage in setting a victory target in the 50s for the second consecutive week, chasing the total down in just 30 balls as Gemma Boyd mashed her way through yet another quick innings.
Sure enough, the four qualifying clubs were pretty much set by the time Sunday morning rolled around, but Echuca and Shepparton Youth Club United had places to fight for in separate encounters.
At Victoria Park, Echuca and Nagambie got set for a clash which looked increasingly likely to repeat itself in the first week of finals down south.
There was a lot to like about the Lakers as Breanna Davison yet again turned up the heat with bat in hand to smack 41 off just 24 deliveries, while skipper Kait Carracher contributed an unbeaten 29 as the southern outfit powered its way to 134.
An often free-scoring border side found itself harshly constrained as Sarah Villinger (3-4) tore through the bottom end of Echuca’s lineup with the game’s final three wickets in a spell that lasted only nine balls, as a commanding 74-run Lakers win was sewn up with ease.
Elsewhere, the combine was overwhelmingly favoured heading into its meeting with Kyabram, but cricket has a funny way of overturning expectations.
Things had so rarely clicked for the Redbacks in season 2024-25, having had to forfeit a week prior due to unavailability, but you could not have asked for a better finale to a tough campaign than by skittling a finals-bound side for 60.
The hosts at Princess Park sat at 5-52 before a lower-order capitulation saw the remaining damage done for just eight runs, with youngster Georgia Leonard turning in spectacular season-best figures of 4-4.
Eliza Linehan would top score unbeaten with 14 for the victorious Redbacks, whose winning run came off a wide with eight balls to spare in a six-wicket result sure to inspire confidence heading into next season.
In the other Sunday clash to close out home-and-away cricket, Katamatite notched its third win of the season in handy fashion with extras primarily doing the damage in a simple run chase away at Cooma.
As a result of the weekend’s often stunning proceedings, Nagambie and Echuca will meet on back-to-back weekends, with the two sides set to clash at Nagambie Recreation Reserve on Sunday, while Mooroopna will host an all-local clash with Shepparton Youth Club United.
With last year’s top-six system discontinued, the winners of both semis will meet in the decider at Cooma on Sunday, March 2.
