Leongatha into Division 3 final at Melbourne Country Week

BATTLE in the time-honoured Melbourne Country Week Cricket competition for 2026 comes to a conclusion on Friday, February 13 with the Leongatha and District Cricket Association still having something to play for after narrowly missing the final in Division 2.

Leongatha will play off against Sunraysia in the ‘Division 3’ final, effectively the ‘plate’ final after finishing third in a competition where nine teams played four games during the week.

Through to the final in Division 2, and with the chance of going up into the premier ‘Provincial’ division next year were Maryborough District Cricket Association which won all of its games during the week, and Warrnambool which earned their place with a strong performance against Leongatha on day 3.

But it is by no means certain which team, Leongatha or Sunraysia, will win the Division 3 final after the two teams played out a super-exciting match on Monday.

Leongatha set Sunraysia a useful total of 177 but the northerners were closing in on victory, during a tenacious ninth-wicket stand of 57 between Jasper Presswell and Alex Morrish.

But, with Sunraysia within four runs of the Leongatha total, Jarrod Hoy produced the delivery of the week to trap Presswell LBW and Jack Hume clean bowled the new batsman to deliver a hard-fought win.

On day 2, Leongatha continued on, polishing off the target of 157 set by HDCA Hurricanes in the 36th over.

But day 3 was a disaster for the Leongatha featuring a batting collapse against Warrnambool that forged a different path for both sides, Warrnambool into the Division 2 final and Leongatha salvaging their week with a win over Victorian Sub-Districts on Thursday to secure a place in the Division 3 final at Donald McLean Reserve, under the West Gate Bridge in Spotswood on Friday.

In the premier 'Provincial' division, regulars Mornington Peninsula and Geelong will play off at the Albert Ground on Friday, with the two Gippsland teams in Provincial, Sale-Maffra and Bairnsdale having very different weeks. Sale-Maffra lost to Geelong on the qualifying final on Thursday while Bairnsdale will be relegated after failing to win a match in the tough, top grade.

Match reports

• Day 1: Leongatha versus Sunraysia. Our first game was an absolute nail-biter! After a huge 57 from Jack Curtis, we got off to a strong start before being slowed by some quality bowling. Skipper Jack Ginnane’s composed 22* was crucial, guiding us to 177 in 38.4 overs. With the ball, it was a real arm-wrestle as momentum swung both ways. Brann and McCausland struck early with two wickets each, before Sunraysia fought back. Then the game turned, Jack Hume ripped through the middle order with 3 wickets in 5 balls, swinging it back our way. Some outstanding late-innings bowling from Hoy, claiming two massive wickets, proved critical. The final breakthrough came in the 45th over, with Jack Hume finishing with 4/38 off 8.3 overs. A hard-fought 3-run win.
• Day 2: Leongatha versus HDCA Hurricanes. Fresh off a gritty Game 1 win, the boys came in full of belief and delivered again against a strong Hamilton DCA outfit. Winning the toss and sending Hamilton in, our bowlers set the tone early. Just like Game 1, Joel Brann was on fire with the new ball, ripping through the top order with 3 early wickets to leave Hamilton reeling at 3/36. After a middle-order fightback, it was once again Jack Hume who stepped up in the big moments, finishing with 3 wickets and a crucial run out to keep the pressure on. Chasing 157 for victory, the batting group got off to a solid start with a 52-run opening stand before Mitch Thomas was run out for a well-made 26. While starts came without big scores, the calm heads stood up when it mattered most. The two Wonthaggi boys, Joel Brann (17)* and Jakeb Thomas (31)*, showed composure and class to guide the team home in the 47th over.
• Day 3: Leongatha versus Warrnambool. Not the day we had hoped for, as we were beaten by the better side on the day. After winning the toss and sending Warrnambool in to bat, we started well with the ball. Youngster Aydan Williams set the tone early, while Joel Brann was outstanding in the field with two sharp run outs. The pick of the bowlers was once again Jack Hume, who claimed 3 wickets and has been a picture of consistency throughout the week. Unfortunately, with the bat we were unable to build momentum or form any meaningful partnerships, falling well short of the target. Captain Jack Ginnane showed great resolve, the only player to reach double figures. Plenty to take away and learn from as we look to bounce back tomorrow.
• Day 4: Leongatha versus Victorian Sub-districts. Leongatha 4/130(30.3) def Victorian Sub-District Association 10/128(41.4). Leongatha bounced bat from Wednesday’s disappointment on the back of some spirited bowling by Joel Brann 4/16 and Jarrod Hoy 3/27 to contain them to 128. After a couple of hiccups in the batting, they reached the target off 30 overs to win through to the finals on Friday.
• Day 5 (Div 3 Final): Leongatha versus Sunraysia. Match starts Friday, February 13 at Donald McLean Reserve Spotswood at 10am HERE