A double hat-trick by Kyabram Fire Brigade all-rounder Hunter Fawcett was not enough to win his team a place in the Goulburn Murray Cricket under-17 grand final .
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Fawcett, bowling the last over of the Moama innings in the semi-final between the teams on Sunday at Moama Recreation Reserve, removed Henry Brown, Benjamin Smith, Trent Gray and Toby Cadd with successive deliveries.
He finished with figures of 4-13 from eight overs, two of those maidens, as Moama finished on 9-141 after 40 overs — having been 2-101 15 overs earlier.
Fawcett and James Hargreaves, who took 3-10 from six overs, slowed the scoring significantly after star opening batter Hudson Kellett had scored a half-century.
Before his eighth over he had delivered seven overs for figures of 0-11.
Moama star Kellett returned at the loss of the ninth wicket to finish not out 52, from 66 deliveries — with six boundaries.
Moama and Bamawm-Lockington United will face-off on Sunday, in the season finale, after winning through the weekend’s semi-final fixture.
Moama ended up a 36-run winner against Fire Brigade and BLU was a seven-wicket victor at Victoria Park against Echuca Green.
After winning the toss Fire Brigade chose to bowl, but after removing Archie Teasdale early did not strike again until the 25th over — by that time Moama was 2-101.
Apart from the heroics of Fawcett and Hargreaves the other highlights were the unbeaten 19 from Moama’s Henry Brown, who had six different batting partners.
In reply Fire Brigade was 3-31 when Braith Northausen (14 from 27 deliveries) joined Fawcett at the wicket.
They added 41 as Fawcett backed up his bowling with 32 from 47 deliveries.
Of the remaining Fire Brigade batters only Lachlan Carver (17) made double figures.
Moama’s Archie Teasdale took 5-22 from eight overs to be the match-winner for his team as Fire Brigade was all out for 105 in the 39th over.
It will be a black (Moama) and white (Echuca) end to Goulburn Murray Cricket’s under-15 season after the pair beat Kyabram Fire Brigade teams in Thursday evening semi-finals.
Moama Black reeled in the 6-87 25-over total set by Kyabram Fire Brigade White with five overs and six wickets to spare.
Echuca White skittled Kyabram Fire Brigade Red for 86 runs and lost only three wickets in the 18.3-over run chase.
The Echuca team which finished the season on top of the ladder sent its opposition into bat and never looked back.
Moama White’s victory came after Kyabram Fire Brigade White elected to bat.
Losing its top three batters for single figures there was momentary relief through Isaac Grealy (retired 11), Oscar Carver (retired 14) and Jack Hubble (retired 14) — all facing their allocation of 25 deliveries.
The 87-run total was not enough, however, to advance into the grand final and despite early wickets from Paddy Westerveld and Sam Bruhn the Moama team cruised to victory.
The grand final is a two-day match that started at Moama Recreation Reserve at 5pm last night and will end tomorrow night (Thursday, February 22).
In other matches on Thursday Tongala finished the season on a high when it sent Echuca South in to bat after winning the toss and held its opponent to 5-73 from 25 overs.
Five Tongala bowlers took wickets, including the Tyler Robinson and Jack Forde.
In response Mitch Cornwall, the backbone of the team all season, retired with 40 to his credit after smashing four boundaries and two sixes from 25 deliveries.
Jack Forde contributed 20 to an opening stand of 66, while River Townend’s 16 not out from the middle order helped the Blues to 6-120 from 25 overs and a season-ending win.
Kyabram Fire Brigade under-15 girls will tackle Katty Tigers in the grand final of their competition at Brick Alley at Moama at 12.30pm on Sunday (February 25).
A final round win against Echuca Green saw the team win through to the end of season play-off, restricting Echuca Green to 5-74 from 20 overs thanks to the work of Lexie Cottrell.
She took 3-9 from three overs and had support from Sienna Brennan and Phoebe Perrella.
In reply Fire Brigade built its innings on the back of an unbeaten 11-run, 25-delivery score from opener Brennan and Penny Mason’s 19 (from 20 deliveries).
Cottrell contributed an unbeaten 10 to the total as Fire Brigade made it through to the grand final.
Kyabram Fire Brigade will face Rochester in the under-13 GMC grand final at Moama’s Brick Alley Oval on Sunday at 9am.
On day two of the final round Rochester won its way through to the grand final with a massive 1-169 tally against Leitchville-Gunbower.
The combine managed only 5-52 from its 20 overs in reply to Rochester’s score.
Having amassed 6-245 on day one of its final round match with Echuca South, the top-of-the-ladder Kyabram Fire Brigade completed its victory by dismissing five opposition batters for no score.
Echuca South was all out for 76 in 27.3 overs, with Sam Chapman, Hudson Boyland and Nixon Cottrell all taking two wickets.
In other matches Tongala’s day one tally of 9-50 was no match for Moama Black, which amassed 8-202 from 29.3 overs.
Kyabram Redbacks comfortably defended their week one tally of 9-160 when they dismissed Bamawm-Lockington United for 60 in 22 overs.
Xavier Graetz produced one of the most outstanding two-over spells of the season when he took four wickets from 12 deliveries and finished with figures of 4-4.
He took three of those wickets in the space of four deliveries in an eight-ball over that featured a no ball and a wide.
Only one run, in fact, came off the bat from his bowling.
The four other final round fixrtures, including matches between Kyabram Redbacks and Moama White, along with Tongala and Echuca White, will be played tonight (February 21) at 5pm.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor