Nichols Point Legends will march into the Sunraysia District Tennis Association finals full of confidence after a resounding final round victory.
The Legends are the very warm favourites in Division 1, finishing top of the ladder with a confidence-boosting 10-0 win over Nichols Point Guns n Roses.The Nichols Point outfit, playing at home, will be up against Red Cliffs Rebels, who finished fourth after a last-round defeat by second-placed Sarnia Sloggers.
Sloggers will play Sacred Heart Guns at the notoriously windy Aero courts.
The Guns’ 7-3 victory over Alcheringa Avengers moved them into third place to avoid a semi-final clash with Nichols Point.
Alcheringa All Stars and St Andrews Slammers finished Division 2 in first and second respectively with only 1.5 points separating them.
All Stars will play Wentworth Webels at Gol Gol in a replay of last week’s home-and-away match which, if the results are similar, looks like a spot in the grand final is assured for Alcheringa.
Sacred Heart Starters gave it their all in the final round, finishing with an amazing 9-0 win over third-placed Nichols Point Pointers.
Unfortunately for the Starters, it was too little, too late for them to make the finals.
The Pointers will be up against St Andrews Slammers at Aero.
Coming off the bye should not hinder the performance of the Slammers, who would be expected to take the other grand final berth.
Division 3 will be split into 3A and 3B for the finals.
Nichols Point Diamonds, on top of the ladder with daylight second, will play Alcheringa Almighties at home.
Diamonds enjoyed a characteristic win over Wentworth Wascals last week, while Almighties can consider themselves lucky to be in the top four as a 7-2 loss to Red Cliffs Ratbagz meant they finished the season with a lead of only 1.5 points over Sarnia Saints in fifth.
St Andrews Spartans put paid to Sarnia’s bid for the top four with a 7-2 victory. Spartans will play Nichols Point DI’s in the second semi at Aero’s.
The DI’s also finished the year with a 7-2 win over Sacred Heart Braves. This match is too close to call but the strong Spartan women could be the difference.
In 3B Sarnia Saints will play Wentworth Wascals at Aero and Red Cliffs Ratbagz will take on Sacred Heart Braves at Red Cliffs.
There will even be a final in Merbein as top of the table Division 4 team Kenny Park Magpies take on St Andrews Saints.
Finishing on 104 points and a whopping 205.44 percentage, the Magpies are unbackable favourites for the Division 4 flag.
A much closer tussle is to be expected when St Andrews Almost Skilled play Alcheringa Alfrescoes at Aero’s.
RESULTS round 15:
DIVISION 1
Sarnia Sloggers 6(67) d Red Cliffs Rebels 4(54): Ryan Samaras 24/8, Warren Searle 24/11 (Sarnia), Lisa Hill 24/16 (Red Cliffs).
Nichols Point Legends 10(80) d Nichols Point Guns n Roses 0(38): Nathan Swaeney 24/8, Aaron Wilkie 24/10, Reg Arney 24/17, Renee Affleck 24/12, Heather Olofsson 24/12, Natalie Thomas 24/14 (Legends).
Sacred Heart Guns 7(73) d Alcheringa Avengers 3(46): Breanna Bagnall 24/8, Kerrie Lynch 24/8 (Sacred Heart).
DIVISION 2
Alcheringa All Stars 7(58) d Wentworth Webels 2(38): Reece Kurrle 24/10, David Walker 24/7, Tash George 24/8 (Alcheringa).
Sacred Heart Starters 9(72) d Nichols Point Pointers 0(29): Samar Warring 24/11, Christian Di Silvestri 24/13, Brian Vorwerk 24/14, Tess Robinson 24/8, Carolina Kaiser 24/8, Ally Robinson 24/74 (Sacred Heart).
DIVISION 3
St Andrews Spartans 7(62) d Sarnia Saints 2(44): Julie Dunn 24/11, Kirsty Pattinson 24/17, Regina Warne 24/8 (St Andrews).
Nichols Point Diamonds 7(68) d Wentworth Wascals 2(32): Noah Turnbull 24/8, Geoff John 24/7, Wendy Dickie 24/3 (Nichols Point).
Nichols Point DI’s 7(68) d Sacred Heart Braves 2(53): Rowley Rangiuira24/18, Ayaka Kirirua-Gill 24/14, Tauta Rangiuira 24/18 (Nichols Point).
Red Cliffs Ratbagz 7(69) d Alcheringa Almighties 2(50): Jarrod Kees 24/17, Maggie Finch 24/14, Louise Hodgetts 24/11 (Red Cliffs).
DIVISION 4
Alcheringa Alfrescoes 5(51) d St Andrews Saints 4(43): Greg Dixon 24/6 (St Andrews), Rebecca Garreffa 24/5 (Alcheringa).
Kenny Park Magpies 8(69) d St Andrews Almost Skilled 1(30): Russell Walder 24/4, Steve Bennett 24/8, Mandy Bone 24/7, Kerry Weinert 24/13 (Kenny Park).
Semi finals draw:
DIVISION 1
Nichols Point Legends v Red Cliffs Rebels at Nichols Point; Sarnia Sloggers v Sacred Heart Guns at Aeros
DIVISION 2
Alcheringa All Stars v Wentworth Webels at Alcheringa;
St Andrews Slammers v Nichols Point Pointers at Aeros
DIVISION 3A
Nichols Point Diamonds v Alcheringa Almighties at Nichols Point; St Andrews Spartans v Nichols Point DI’s at Aeros
DIVISION 3B
Sarnia Saints v Wentworth Wascals at Aeros; Red Cliffs Ratbagz v Sacred Heart Braves at Red Cliffs
DIVISION 4
Kenny Park Magpies v St Andrews Saints at Kenny Park; St Andrews Almost Skilled v Alcheringa Alfrescoes at Aeros
