Echuca and Stanhope are once again on a collision course for the title, set to repeat the grand final encounter from 12 months ago where Stanhope won by 48 runs.
Minor premier Echuca successfully negotiated Kyabram Fire Brigade.
Batting first, Echuca was led by Nick Dolan, who made a composed 40 from 71 as the anchor for his side.
Five other batters reached double figures in an all-round performance that yielded an even 150 from the 40 overs.
Rikki Busch brought wickets with runs for Fire Brigade, leading his team in wickets (4) but also in runs-conceded (39).
Shaun Doolan (2-26) and Jarrod Chapman (2-19) also chipped in with the ball.
A captain’s knock from Trevor Watts (45) kept his side in the contest, but aside from Busch (22) and Oscar Carver, too few of his teammates had success for the chase to succeed.
The Flames fell 17 runs short, dismissed for 133 in the final over, with Harry Kennedy-Ripon (3-19), Dolan (2-21) and Archer Carlile (2-17) the pick of the Echuca bowlers.
Stanhope punched its ticket with a well-earned two-wicket win over Rushworth.
Josh Francis was the batting leader in the Tigers’ innings, making 35 runs, while a couple of teammates couldn’t go on with starts.
All six used Stanhope bowlers took a wicket, with Dinesh Reddy Kondala (3-33), and Danyon Stockdale (2-9) taking more than one.
Jonathon Pearson’s half-century (52) eased the burden on his teammates as Stanhope reached the target in 36 overs.
Shannon Jarrett’s 3-13 stunted the Lions middle order, but it wasn’t enough for his Rushworth side to stave off elimination.
Echuca and Stanhope will meet at Moama Recreation this Saturday to decide the championship.
Bill Williams Murray B-grade Shield
After a dominant regular season, Cooma is the hot favourite to claim the B-grade Murray title, cruising past Rochester by 93 runs.
Cooma made a confident 190 batting first, but couldn’t credit one player with carrying the innings.
Liam Scopelliti (30), Russell Napier (31) and Ethan Palma-Ludeman (35 not out) each made 30 or more.
Rochester threw the ball to eight different bowlers throughout the innings, but Judd Cuttriss was the standout, taking 3-18.
James Hipwell led all scorers in the match when he made 42 not out in the Rochester chase, but none of his teammates really got going as the side ran out of balls well short of the total, making just 97.
Leitchville-Gunbower survived a late scare against Tongala, the Blues one blow away from a surprising turnaround.
Mathematically safe as Tongala required 11 from the final ball to level scores, a disastrous L-G no ball that went for five runs gave the Blues’ River Townsend the chance to win it with a maximum, but he could only manage three from the resulting delivery.
Earlier, Thomas Colvin’s 63 was a big part of Leitchville-Gunbower’s 165 first innings score.
Braith Northausen earned a half-century (57) of his own for Tongala, but in the end the Blues’ were destined to fall two runs short.
Tongala’s Sid Jani (3-44) and L-G’s Kaleb Quinn (2-21) led their respective sides with the ball.
Cooma and Leitchville-Gunbower will clash at Echuca South Recreation Reserve in the grand final.
Gus Underwood C-grade Shield
A pair of upsets has resulted in an unlikely Bamawm-Lockington United and Kyabram Fire Brigade final in C-grade.
The Flames shocked minor premier Echuca, running down its modest 118 to score the victory by a single wicket.
Jonathon Maxwell (58) set a strong platform for Echuca, but only the late arrival of Jay Caldwell (21 not out) provided him any consistency at the other end.
Jonty Sefton bowled well for Fire Brigade taking 4-16.
Sam Vick (37) was the best of the Flames batters, five others chipping in with double figure scores as they inched home.
Ryan Caldwell, Halen Danzinger and Ashley Smith each took two wickets for Echuca.
BLU also overthrew a higher rated opponent, defeating Rochester by four wickets.
Rochester openers Leigh Hartshorne (69) and Tony Griffiths (45) built a formidable platform for the innings with a 116 run opening stand, but once they were back in the sheds the innings petered out to a disappointing 7-169.
Gideon Flett (3-33), Jason Turner (2-27), and Charlie Mundie (2-33) each struck for BLU to help the Lions restrict the opposition.
BLU leant on Adrian Flett (52 from 33) and Xavier Kellow (72 from 73), who took the game away from Rochy with some aggressive scoring, paving an easy road for the rest of the middle order.
BLU and Kyabram Fire Brigade will battle for the C-grade crown at Windridge Oval on Saturday.
Peter Raglus D-grade Shield
The form side all season, defending champion Rushworth will be searching for another title after negotiating a rematch against last year’s runner-up Echuca.
Taj Maddox made an unbeaten 50 to keep Echuca afloat in its batting innings, but his side could only post 8-113 from its 36 overs.
Rushworth looked to be in trouble early but Declan Baldwin (27) and Brodie Shepard (20) worked with Kade Dearing and Peter Francis (both 18 not out) to steady the ship and guide the Tigers home in the last over.
Stanhope will join Rushworth in the final, defeating Tongala by 96 runs.
Batting first, the Lions ran up an imposing total of 5-215 off the back of two 50 retired not outs from Thomas Hepburn and Lachlan West.
The Blues response never really threatened Stanhope’s huge score, Cooper and Jayke Fisher, West, Adam Braithwaite and Lachlan Joyce all grabbing two wickets each as their side rolled Tongala for 119.
The Stanhope and Rushworth encounter will be held at Brick Alley Moama on Saturday.
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