WA Premier Cricket Wrap - Finals Week One

Elimination finals week of WACA Premier Cricket threw up some boilover results, with the lower ranked team emerging victorious in all three games.

Minor premiership winners Willetton will progress as the highest ranked loser but were dismantled by Perth, with the Demons winning by 258 runs at Burrendah Park.

The Dragons won the toss and chose to field, a decision they may have been rueing as the visitors racked up a mammoth total of 8 for 342 from their 90 overs, with big guns Jono Wells (113* from 167 balls), Joel Curtis (72 from 152 balls), and Sam Fanning (47 from 56 balls) all firing.

On the second day, the hosts put in a limp effort to barely make it past lunch, slipping to 7 for 29 before being bowled out for 84 inside 28.1 overs, with Sean Roberts (5/14 from 6 overs) the main destroyer.

One day premiers Claremont-Nedlands also set the pace in red ball cricket for much of the summer but their season is over after losing to Bayswater-Morley by 94 runs at Cresswell Park.

After the visitors batted first and encountered some early trouble, Lane Berry (68 from 99 balls) and Mitch Todd (50 from 124 balls) steadied them into a decent position at 2 for 109 before they crumbled to 178 all out in 75 overs, with young seamer Rory King (6/41 from 17 overs) continuing an outstanding season for the Tigers.

The hosts looked in good shape after starting the second day at 1 for 27 but had a collapse of their own to end up all out for 84 in 54.5 overs, with the seam pairing of Jonty Wilde (5/40 from 26 overs) and Kyle Wiggers (4/27 from 18.5 overs) putting in a mammoth effort for the Bears.

Midland-Guildford needed to win to keep their season alive and did so, eliminating Fremantle with a 124 run win at Stevens Reserve.

After the hosts won the toss and fielded, the Black Ducks managed to post a competitive total of 265 from 82.3 overs despite lacking a big score, with Tom Beaton (67 from 111 balls), James Godfrey (58 from 74 balls), and Jordan Mast (49 from 85 balls) all chipping in.

In reply, the Port Boys followed the weekend’s trend of top order failures, slipping to 6 for 44 and eventually ending up all out for 141 in 45.2 overs, with Dan Kennedy (54* from 76 balls) running out of partners as David Moody (3/26 from 9 overs) and Josh Nicholas (3/31 from 12 overs) showed their class.

In next weekend’s semi finals, Willetton will resume hostilities with Bayswater-Morley at Burrendah Park, while Midland-Guildford take on Perth at Lilac Hill.

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