AROUND THE GROUNDS...
OMK
A1 defeated Phillip Island, bowling the Sharks out for 192.
All bowlers bowled consistently and Jacob Lamers led the way again with 3/25 off 10 overs.
He was backed by Travis Pickering with 2/59 off 19.
“It was a good day for cricket. The boys were up and about in the field with plenty of catches and two run outs. Great momentum heading into the semi-final next week,” OMK’s Jordan Myors said.
B1 also defeated Phillip Island, bowling the opposition out for 182.
The five bowlers used all contributed to the wicket-taking with veteran Peter Dell taking 3/25 off 17.
Similar to A Grade, the bowlers were backed up in the field with five catches being taken.
C1 defeated Korumburra, with the Cobras batting first and making 128.
The day started well with a wicket on the first ball by Russ White and caught by wicketkeeper Mat Walker.
White took 2/27 with Matt Loader and Dan Wylie the other wicket-takers.
The rest of the bowling was tight and consistent, which didn’t allow Korumburra to post a good score.
A couple of early wickets in OMK’s innings saw Adam Fisher and Luke Walker dig in, making 26 and 29 respectively.
OMK chased down the 128 in the 27th over.
C2 lost to Nyora, with a young side taking to the field to give it a go.
“We have 31 different players in our C2 this season, and considering we are fielding four senior sides, we think that’s a fantastic and is great for cricket,” Myors said.
“Captain Mick Whiteside has done a great job with the guys in C2 and has made sure, despite losing each week, that it’s enjoyable and kids are having some fun playing cricket.”
A1, B1 and C1 will head into the semi-final this weekend.
“All three sides have put together some really consistent cricket over the past few weeks leading up to finals and are heading in with some great momentum,” Myors said.
“All three sides have put together some great team performances over the past few weeks.”
Leongatha Town
THE Scorpions gave it their all, but it wasn’t enough in A Grade on Saturday.
It is said that losing provides valuable, if painful, lessons that no victory can teach.
It is time now for a little soul searching to come back stronger than ever next season.
A match highlight was Rory Gilliatte’s mammoth 91 runs off 58 balls, with five showstopping sixes and 10 fours.
Madura Madusanka also made 60, including 11 fours.
In C Grade, Leongatha Town had a good chase, but Wonthaggi Club were very sharp with the ball.
The highlights included Matthew Craig’s 51 runs on the Gump, and the Edwards father-daughter duo Ray and Alyssa batting together.
Korumburra
THE final home and away game wrapped up the 2025/26 season before heading into the finals.
The club also hosted its Wes Olden Vote Count, where it was excited to present a tie for the first time in the award’s history, with Jacob Whiteside and Rumesh
“Jimmy” Rangana both taking home the Wes Olden Medal after polling 19 votes each.
Jimmy has had a terrific season with the bat, finishing with a league-leading 599 runs at an average of 49.92.
His season included one century and six half-centuries, along with 11 dismissals behind the stumps.
Remarkably, Jimmy achieved this despite carrying a broken finger for most of the season.
He also contributed with the ball, claiming two wickets.
Jacob, the club’s A Grade vice-captain, has also enjoyed an outstanding season as an all-rounder.
He scored 350 runs, including two half-centuries, at an average of 38.89, while also taking 26 wickets at an impressive average of 16.7.
Congratulations to Jimmy and Jacob - two outstanding cricketers and very worthy winners of the Wes Olden Medal.
The C Grade side had the special occasion of three generations of the Edwards family taking the ground for the club.
Life member Peter Edwards took the field with Greg and Jaxson for the game � well done to all.
The club wishes the C Grade side the very best for the finals and encourage all club supporters to get along to support the side.
After being set the big target last week in A2, the run chase was on and, in a methodical batting performance, the team reached the target of 269 with four overs to spare.
Despite an early wicket, Caleb Turton and Tom Crocker steadied the innings with a solid second-wicket partnership of 70.
Turton was eventually dismissed for a very patient 35 off 98 balls, including two fours.
Rumesh Rangana then joined Crocker at the crease, and the pair began to put pressure on the Koonwarra/LRSL bowlers, increasing the run rate and keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Crocker’s departure for a well-made 52 off 108 balls, including four fours, brought Jacob Whiteside to the crease.
Together with Rangana, they added a crucial 115-run third-wicket partnership.
Rangana brought up his first century for the club with an aggressive 117 off 104 balls, striking 15 fours.
With victory in sight, Whiteside kept the pressure on and finished unbeaten on 44 off 86 balls, bringing up the winning runs.
B Grade took on ladder leaders and undefeated Wonthaggi Club at home on Summerfield Oval, bowling first.
An early wicket to Rueben Foster got the Cobras off to a great start, but
Wonthaggi’s strong top order soon took control and set an aggressive pace.
Through the middle overs the Cobras did well to apply pressure, taking wickets and keeping the run rate in check.
William Dourley led the bowling attack with an excellent 3/20, well supported by Owen Maskell who claimed 2/3.
Rueben Foster, Aaron Damon and Simeon Foster also chipped in with a wicket each.
The Cobras began the run chase with good intent.
Simeon Foster made 20 from 37 balls, including three fours, while Aaron Damon added 12 from 20 balls with one boundary as the pair built an early partnership.
Unfortunately, the side was unable to capitalise on the start.
C Grade took on ladder leaders OMK, batting first in what was effectively a dress rehearsal for next week’s semi-final.
Unfortunately, the Cobras got off to the worst possible start, losing the experienced and in-form Trevor Allen first ball.
The top order struggled to settle, with regular wickets falling and the innings under pressure early.
Darren Scott then anchored the innings with a terrific unbeaten 61 from 95 balls, including 10 fours.
He was joined by Tom Jenkins, who contributed a composed 33 not out from 74 balls with four boundaries.
The pair combined for an excellent unbeaten 99-run fifth-wicket partnership to finish the innings strongly.
With the ball, Tom Sorrell showed why he is the league’s leading wicket-taker, removing OMK’s dangerous opening batsmen cheaply to give the Cobras the perfect start.
From there, OMK’s innings ebbed and flowed, with solid partnerships keeping them on track in the run chase while regular wickets from the Cobras kept the game competitive.
In the end, however, Korumburra was unable to secure the win.
Tom Sorrell was the pick of the bowlers with 2/18 from seven overs, well supported by Darren Scott with 2/26 from six overs.
The Imperials
THE Imps’ A1 side managed to stave off relegation by ending the season with a great win, which saw them jump off the bottom of the ladder.
Coming up against Leongatha Town, the Imps batted well to chase down 272.
Aydan Williams celebrated his first century, hitting 101*.
Captain Jack Ginnane made 85 runs and 41 runs were contributed by Damon Ginnane.
With the ball the previous week, Jack Ginnane was in form and took three wickets, while Isaac Bolge, Williams and Klayton McGrath each claimed two wickets.
The Imperials’ winning score was 5/300.
“It was a good result to finish, which kept us in A1. Although it wasn’t our best year, it was good to end the season with a win and we’ll be looking to come back stronger next season,” Jack said.
Nyora
IN a club first, Nyora has finished top of the ladder in both the A2 and B2 divisions.
A2 secured its spot after a nail-biter against second-placed Kilcunda Bass on Saturday.
Tailender Aaron Thompson managed to get Nyora over the line with 22* to finish the innings.
“Aaron guided us home after a tricky run chase. It wasn’t easy, but it was a great result for the club,” Nyora’s Adam White said.
B Grade had a good win over Glen Alvie to finish off the home and away season.
Col Knox carried the bat all day and made a good start to the run chase with a 50-run partnership with his son Jordan.
Nyora is now looking forward to seeing both sides compete in the semi-final next week.
C Grade finished off its season with an outstanding win over OMK.
Young Elijah Le Serve made his first century for the club, making 107 runs.
Not only that, but he was also involved in a 199-run second-wicket partnership, which is a C Grade record for the Nyora Cricket Club.
Captain Craig Robertson made 81 runs.
“Elijah is definitely a kid on the rise. He’s got a lot of potential. It was a good day for him and for the club,” White said.
C Grade finished the season fifth on the ladder.
“We had a lot of kids playing in C Grade this season and we are proud of their efforts. They backed themselves on the hard days and it was a good learning experience,” White said.
Foster
FOSTER finished its A2 season with a one-day game against MDU at the Foster Cricket Ground.
MDU won the toss and chose to bat.
Paul Le Page opened well with 57 runs and captain Mitch McGrath added 50 runs.
For Foster, Michael Cooke was best with the ball, taking 4/27.
MDU played out its 40 overs and left Foster to chase 9/261.
Foster started its innings with a steady partnership from Mitchell Jones and Luke Rooker.
They made 16 and 19 runs respectively.
Noah McMillan later added 18 runs to the scoreboard.
However, MDU bowlers Sam Bright and Sembakuttige Chathura Lakshan both gave dominant performances and took three wickets each.
Foster was bowled out with a score of 10/84.
Wonthaggi Club
WONTHAGGI Club’s B Grade side finished the home-and-away season in excellent form with a commanding 124-run victory over Korumburra at Korumburra Recreation Reserve.
After losing the toss and being sent into bat, Wonthaggi posted a strong 9/186 from 40 overs thanks to solid contributions throughout the batting order.
Gavin Britt provided the early momentum with an aggressive 36 from 30 balls, striking three fours and two sixes.
David Britt anchored the innings with a steady 25, while Sean Roche added a valuable 20 through the middle overs.
Late in the innings, Kai Allison worked hard for 27, helping maintain the scoring rate, before Bryce Evans finished the innings strongly with an unbeaten 25, ensuring Wonthaggi pushed their total close to 190.
Defending the total, Wonthaggi’s bowlers quickly took control of the match. Bryce Evans produced a superb spell, taking 3/3 from five overs, including three maidens, to dismantle the Korumburra middle order.
The standout performance came from Heath Dobbie, who tore through the lower order with an outstanding spell of 4/1 from 2.1 overs, wrapping up the innings in quick fashion.
Earlier breakthroughs from Drew Herbert, Jai Williamson and Angus Benetti helped keep Korumburra under pressure throughout the chase.
With wickets falling regularly and pressure building from all bowlers, Korumburra were eventually dismissed for 62 in 25.1 overs, sealing a comprehensive victory for Wonthaggi.
The strong team performance provides plenty of confidence as the side heads into the finals series.
The club’s C Grade side closed out the home-and-away season with an impressive 67-run victory over MDU at McMahon Reserve.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Wonthaggi produced a powerful batting performance to post 5/227 from 35 overs, with several players contributing across the innings.
Mitchell Davey set the tone at the top of the order with an excellent 56 from 53 balls, striking ten boundaries and a six in a fluent knock.
He was well supported by Jed Caddy, who compiled a steady 40, helping lay a strong foundation for the total.
Jason O’Reilly continued the momentum with 39 retired not out, keeping the scoreboard ticking before the middle and lower order accelerated the scoring late in the innings.
Kevin McLean provided the late fireworks with a quick 36 from 23 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Aidan Quilty added a rapid 13 not out from just seven balls as Wonthaggi pushed their total past 220.
With a strong total on the board, Wonthaggi’s bowlers shared the workload to keep the pressure on throughout the chase.
Luke Borne struck early to put Meeniyan Dumbalk United on the back foot, finishing with three wickets, while captain Sam Liddle played a key role through the middle overs with two wickets.
Jed Caddy chipped in late with two wickets, and further breakthroughs from Kevin McLean, Mohamed Ashik Mohamed Nizar, and Chase Adams ensured the wickets continued to fall.
Despite some resistance from the opposition middle order, Wonthaggi maintained control and eventually dismissed MDU for 160 in 31.5 overs, securing a solid win to finish the season.
The club’s C2 side carried strong form into the finals with a solid 17-run win over Leongatha Town at Scorpion Park.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Wonthaggi posted an impressive 4/198 from 35 overs thanks to several key contributions in the top order.
Captain Luke McGuirk led from the front with an attacking 58 from 41 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes to set the tone for the innings.
He was well supported by Brayden Pentland, who continued his outstanding form with a composed 63 from 89 balls, anchoring the innings and ensuring Wonthaggi built a strong platform.
