Cricket
9 March, 2025
Bullants and Homers through to grand final
Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants and the Homers will face each other in next week's grand final in the Horsham Cricket Association's A-grade competition following thrilling semi-finals of rain-affected cricket.
The Bullants caused the upset of the season, defeating the West Wimmera Warriors in one of the most thrilling matches in recent seasons at Horsham City Oval.
The Warriors finished on top of the ladder and came into the match as favourites, and both teams had good patches at the start of the innings.
The Warriors struck early through Joshua Lees who had Jamie Byrne caught by Bradley Alexander for a duck.
With Justtin Combe and Matthew Combe at the crease, the Bullants were able to fight back before the Warriors struck back through Jeremy Weeks who dismissed both.
Troy Dumensy was run out for 10 by Liam Preston and when Jack Combe was bowled by Nathan Alexander for two, the Warriors were 5/75.
Austin Smith and Jason Harris rebuilt the innings, which proved to be a match-winning partnership. With help from Jordan McDonald at number ten, who scored 17 and put on a 50-run partnership with Smith, they were able to fight their way to 9/194, with Austin Smith also unbeaten on 68.
Bradley Alexander was the pick of the Warriors bowlers with 3/63 (18).
Needing 195 for victory, the Warriors' innings got off to a bad start, with Austin Smith and Matthew Combe taking the first four wickets between them to have the Warriors 4/28.
Both then continued to bowl well, and at one stage, the Warriors were 6/50 and in a lot of trouble.
Nathan Alexander fought hard, but the wickets kept tumbling, and when Alexander fell for 24, the Warriors found themselves at 8/87.
Two overs later, the heavens opened, and the players were called off the oval as a storm hit Horsham.
Both teams waited anxiously, with the Bullants the more nervous because if they couldn't get back out there, the Warriors would advance to the grand final after finishing higher on the ladder.
With nearly two hours off the ground, play resumed just before 6 pm, and the Bullants had their chance to make it to the grand final with 50 minutes to get two wickets.
Smith and Combe put the Warriors batsmen, Liam Albrecht and Liam Preston, under pressure with tight bowling, and it took until the 45th over for the Bullants to get a wicket, with Troy Dumensy catching Liam Preston off the bowling of Austin Smith for 11.
Both bowled well for another four overs, with Albrecht and Luke Smith batting cautiously, before Matthew Combe struck in the 50th over, taking the wicket of Liam Albrecht for 18, caught by Jordan McDonald, to give them the unlikeliest of victories.
Combe finished with figures of 5/41 (20.2) with six maidens while Smith finished with 4/23 (17) with eight maidens.
Bullants' opening batsman Justtin Combe said they kept active during the rain delay.
"We were out the back doing a few run-throughs and team-building drills, Combe said.
"To be honest, we were worried we weren't going to get back on as it was touch and go for a while, but when we got back on, the boys were switched on and ready to go.
"Matthew and Austin bowled well and were asking enough questions there on the off stump line, and kept things tight."
Combe said the batting partnership on Saturday was the key.
"The partnership between Austin and Jason was phenomenal," Combe said.
"We had a mini collapse, but that last-wicket partnership was the most important.
"It got us up to 194 and when you have a tenth wicket partnership like that, it always gives you an edge."
At Dudley Cornell Park, the Homers defeated Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills in a match that ended early due to the rain.
The Eagles won the toss and sent the Homers into bat. It proved a wise decision early with the Eagles having the Homers 2/20, thanks to Jeremy Preston and Lachlan McGinniss who took the wickets of Adam Atwood and Hugh Dougherty for 18 and two respectively.
Luke Miller and Patrick Mills fought back to have the Homers 2/45, but then the Eagles struck twice through McGinniss and Charlie Dean to have the Homers 4/52.
Mills, along with Chaminda Gamage, then put on a solid partnership before Matthew Crisp caught Mills off the bowling of Jeremy Preston for 28.
With the score 5/80, Gibson Perry came to the crease, and with Gamage put on a massive partnership to guide them past 140.
Isaac McPherson came on to bowl after wicket-keeping the innings, and he took the wickets of Gibson Perry, Baxter Perry and Matthew Kerr to put the Eagles back into the match.
Phoenix Hopper and Ben Williamson scored vital runs down the order, with 13 and seven respectively, to guide the Homers to a total of 199.
Gibson Perry was the top scorer with 43 while McPherson finished with figures of 3/21 (10) with two maidens.
The Eagles' innings got off to a bad start, with the Perry brothers, Gibson and Baxter, running rampant, taking four of the first five wickets to have the Eagles 4/30.
Isaac McPherson then batted confidently, but regular wickets continued to fall, thanks mainly to Chaminda Gamage's off-spin, and the Eagles found themselves in trouble at 8/90.
McPherson kept batting well, and the Eagles were 9/127 when rain stopped play with McPherson on 86.
Gamage finished with figures of 4/29 (15) with six maidens.
Due to the heaviness of the rain, after 40 minutes, Eagles captain Isaac McPherson called the game, and the Homers ended up winning because they finished higher on the ladder.
Homers' captain Adam Atwood is thrilled they can get a chance to defend their title.
"Brim are an excellent outfit, and it was a good battle over the weekend," Atwood said.
"Unfortunately, it rained, and that can't be helped, but we are happy to be in a grand final again and are looking forward to it."
Eagles president Leigh Dovaston said they are happy with their debut season in the HCA despite losing.
"As we said at the start of the season, we wanted to be competitive, not only to do that, but also to have a chance to make the grand final, which is a great result," Dovaston said.
"The scoreboard doesn't look as good on paper, but we always felt we were in the game, and despite losing, we are happy with how our season went."
When asked what they learned about two-day cricket to take into next season, Dovaston highlighted "patience".
"It's the last two overs where you need to push it and stay on your toes as it's a long day in the field," Dovaston said.
"You tend to forget you have those extra few overs, and when batting, you need to remember you have a lot of time.
"When you get to the tenth over it's natural to think you need to get on with it, but we just need to be patient and bat out the full 75 overs, and we will learn a lot from the experience this season."
