SUNRAYSIA have fallen short of a Melbourne Country Week cricket grand final berth by net run rate despite a demolition job on South West on Thursday.
A massive 183-run victory, thanks to centuries from Nafis Shaikh and Brad Thomas and blistering bowling performances from Jayden Hunt and Charlie Walker, gave the SCA every chance of bridging the gap to second-placed Wangaratta on the ladder.
However, it wasn’t enough with Wangaratta set to face the undefeated Warrnambool in Port Melbourne for premiership honours.
The SCA side finished with two wins and a loss from their three games, but their 97-run defeat to Warrnambool on Wednesday hurt their qualification chances.
They were still able to end the week on a high, amassing 3/307 from their 50 overs, with Shaikh unbeaten on 110 from 116 deliveries and Thomas being run out on 100.
The duo shared in a 146-run third-wicket stand, and got back up with quickfire innings from from Leigh Thomson-Mathews (34 from 21) and Bryson Lush (28 from 20).
South West’s run chase was on the back foot from the off as Walker and Hunt tore through the top order, leaving them at 4/18.
Aside from 64 from Zach Sinnott, the batting order didn’t give much of a yelp, going all out for 124 at the end of the 28th over.
Hunt played chief destroyer with 4/54 with all his scalps coming within the first six wickets, while Walker was miserly with 2/15 from seven overs. Harvey Ault (2/17) and Billy Phelan (2/31) also grabbed wickets during the innings.
The century capped off a fine week for Sunraysia co-captain Thomas, who finished with 203 runs after an 81 in his first contest.
Adam Thomson also impressed with back-to-back half centuries in the first two matches but wasn’t required in game three.
