By Colin MacGillivray

Swifts-Great Western will make its Horsham Cricket Association A Grade finals debut after a wild end to the home-and-away season on Saturday.

The Lions entered the final round of two-day matches in fifth place, with Donald-Jeffcott sitting in fourth.

With identical win-loss records, Swifts-Great Western was hoping for a Donald-Jeffcott loss, but the DJ side took care of business against Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills, claiming first-innings points by two wickets.

It left an outright win as the Lions’ only option, but the home side had its work cut out for it after resuming 39 runs short of first-innings points on Saturday.

Jesse Eckel’s early dismissal for 10 brought Jack Cann to the crease, and Cann soon had the scoreboard ticking over in an unbeaten innings of 34 that included two sixes.

The Lions declared at 6-168 with a first-innings lead of 18 runs, tasking their bowlers with finding quick wickets.

After a promising early partnership from the Tigers, the Swifts-Great Western attack struck, with Wil Clough picking up the early wickets of Gavin Brown, five, and Ricci Marks, duck, while Ethan Marrow had Janith Herath for 21 to leave the visitors 3-31.

Danger man Tyler Puls was another key wicket for the Lions, trapped in front for 12 by Matt Heffer.

But a superb partnership of 73 from Archie Knight, 31, and Sam Leith, 38 not out, seemed destined to dash Swifts-Great Western’s hopes.

It was only a late flurry of wickets from Jayden McCartney, who took 3-7 in six overs, that gave the home side a chance, as the final four Tiger batsmen fell for a combined eight runs, while Harvey Brown did not bat.

The Tigers’ 9-128 put immense pressure on Swifts-Great Western, which required 111 runs for victory with only about 15 overs remaining in the day’s play.

Lions skipper Aiden Graveson was up for the challenge, opening the batting and making an unbeaten 67 from 40 balls, including four sixes and five fours. While Graveson lost opening partner Jacob Dunn for two, Zach Marrow was equally brilliant at number three, blasting 44 runs from 18 balls faced, with four sixes of his own.

The Lions raced to 1-114 in less than 11 overs, securing an unlikely finals berth.

The result negated Donald-Jeffcott’s own strong performance, after the DJ Boys successfully chased BKSH’s 10-156. 

It became a tricky run chase for the home side after a strong opening partnership from Cooper Anderson, 43, and Dylan Ruurds, 22.

When Koby Westerland and Lachie Jones fell for 10 and 14 respectively, the match appeared to be in the balance with DJ at 4-103.

But a captain’s knock of 36 not out from Eddie Landwehr helped right the ship. Landwehr guided the home side to 8-160 despite losing a string of partners as Eagle bowler Lachlan McGinniss finished with 5-70.

The result saw Brim-Kellalac-Sheep Hills, which spent most of the season in finals contention, drop all the way to eighth after Colts’ huge 169-run win against Laharum.

Chasing a huge target of 287 – set thanks to Logan Millar’s knock of 126 – the Demons were unable to string partnerships together, with wickets falling regularly and no batsman reaching 20 runs.

Colts captain Jake Mclean helped wrap the match up with figures of 4-18, helping his side vault to a sixth-place finish after spending much of the season in the cellar.

The beaten Demons missed a chance to overtake second-place Noradjuha-Toolondo, which suffered a 111-run first-innings loss to West Wimmera.

The Warriors’ bowling attack was clinical, with Austin Merrett taking 6-20 from nine overs to bowl the Bullants out for 74. 

The final match of the round was rained out, with a potential victory for winless wooden spooner St Mary’s going begging against Lubeck-Murtoa.

The results set up an intriguing set of two-day semi-finals, with West Wimmera taking on Swifts-Great Western at Horsham City Oval, while the Bullants play Laharum at Stawell’s Central Park.

West Wimmera’s sole loss this season came against Swifts-Great Western in a one-day game in round seven, although the Warriors were below full strength in the clash.

Meanwhile, the Bullants’ only meeting with Laharum came in round two, with Noradjuha-Toolondo winning by 37 runs.

Other grades

B Grade finals will see minor premier Rup-Minyip take on Horsham Tigers in a two-day game at Coughlin Park, with Swifts-Great Western playing Horsham Saints in the other semi-final.

The Blue Panthers will seek to reverse a 94-run loss to the Tigers in round nine, while the Saints have beaten the Lions in two of their three meetings this season, including last month’s one-day grand final.

Swifts-Great Western will make it  finals appearances across the board in C Grade, where its minor premier side will take on Rhymney-Moyston at Minyip Recreation Reserve in a one-day game.

Laharum will play Halls Gap in the other semi-final at Horsham’s Dimboola Road Oval.

Junior grand finals are set for Horsham City Oval on Monday after an anticlimactic weekend saw semi-finals rained out. With no results recorded, teams advanced based on ladder position, with an under-14 grand final to pit Noradjuha-Toolondo against Horsham Tigers at 9am, while the under-16 decider will feature the Dunmunkle Renegades and Horsham Tigers from noon.

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