ADAM Thomson produced a classy captain’s knock to help frontrunners Gol Gol advance to the Sunraysia cricket First Division grand final with a comprehensive semi-final victory against Mildura West on Sunday.
Thomson top-scored with a season-best 77 off 87 balls as he and run machine Wade Hancock (74 off 88 balls) put on 128 for the third wicket where the duo combined power, poise and precision in blunting West’s attack at Alcheringa Oval.
Both top-grade semi-finals were reduced to a 40-over-a-side one-dayer after Saturday’s play was cancelled due to the extreme heat.
The temperature reading off Thomson and Hancock’s bats were reading ‘red hot’ as the pair ensured the home team posted a strong total of 6/196, with all-rounder Luke Hickey providing a late cameo of 21 off 15 balls.
Thomson and Hancock rarely looked troubled at the crease as they played the good balls with respect and punished the bad deliveries.
No.3 Hancock continued his memorable season, taking his tally of runs in all forms of cricket to 1062 at a brilliant average of 118.
In reply, West were reeling early when opener Tom Holmes was dismissed for a golden duck before key man Chris Williams (8) became the third wicket to fall with just 12 runs on the board.
Greg Lewis (45) did his best to keep West’s hopes flickering, but Hickey (4/29), Matt Cameron (2/34) and Nick Jensen (3/19) made short work of the visitors’ batting line-up.
In the other semi-final, Irymple and Nichols Point played out a thriller at Henshilwood Oval.
The Pointers fell agonisingly close to advancing to their first grand final since returning to Sunraysia cricket’s top grade.
Young gun Lewis Dichiera took a season-best 7/57 off 19.2 overs in helping dismiss the Swallows for 132.
He was well supported by Luke Coates, who snared 2/52 off 15 overs, while Shaun Mathews chimed in with the other wicket.
It was only middle to lower-order resistance that saw the Swallows post a marginally defendable total for their bowlers, with Jarrad Armsden (24), Tyson Giles (16) and Liam Garlick (31) leading the way.
In reply, the Pointers were in big trouble at 2/0, with openers Leigh Thomson-Mathews and Shaun Mathews back in the sheds. However, a middle-order fightback from Kaushik Aphale (32), Shannon Bowen (15) and Nick Blacker (40) almost saw the Pointers home.
The Swallows held firm, though, with Bailey Anderson (5/43) and Mark Thomson (4/56) clutch at the death.
