A Grade hosted Margate at Glen Huon on Saturday with a Grand Final spot on the line.
With Margate batting first, another run chase loomed which had not been good against this side twice previously.
Jacob Stanway took a double breakthrough to get the ball rolling for the home side, and Shane Fletcher was able to tie down one end.
a 75 run partnership after Margate were 4-77 saw the game swing in Margates favour, before Aiden Geeves was Abel to get the breakthrough. Form there Josh Stevenson and Bevan Roberts were able to cut a swathe through the tail, Margate losing the last 6 wickets for 33 runs to be bowled out for 182.
Roberts took 3-34, Stevenson 3-37, Stanway 2-29 and singles to Fletcher and Geeves.
In reply, North Huon played a familiar tale against Margate, losing 3 quick wickets to be 3-22 before Stevenson and Adam Crowe bug in to push the score to 60. A number of small partnerships kept Margate in the game, and made things tricky for North as the dismissal of Page at 9-167 left Geeves and Roberts with work to do.
Cool heads saw them sneak past the total however, and book a Grand Final spot at Ranelagh in 2 weeks.
With a lack of home ground forcing B Grade’s home elimination Semi to Franklin, North Huon won the toss and batted. An early loss was tempered by a great 50 run stand between Troy Page and Phil Bell, before a clump of wickets fell.
A typical breezy innings from Marcus Raine gave the middle order some substance, but he fell just short of his hundred for 98 at a critical time, and despite a good 31 from Riley Anning, North were bowled out for 235 with an over to go.
The North Huon bowlers had no answer for the Judbury openers, who raced to 147 before the first wicket fell to Phil Bell.
Riley captured another with the score on 198, but it was too little too late, despite timing things down in the latter overs, Judbury had no real problems passing the total with 3 overs to spare, and finish B Grade’s season for them.
C1 Grade headed down the road to Franklin as well, to take on the Tigers for second spot on the ladder. Regardless of the result these two teams would meet next week in the Prelim Final, so the match was just to decide the venue.
The home side wo the toss and elected to bat, and it was a tale of the young and the old with the new ball, with 350 game veteran Scott Coad at one end, and Under `15 captain Will Quarrier at the other.
Two wickets to each of them soon had the Tigers in trouble at 4-32 before the Tigers could put together a partnership.
James Oates was able to make the breakthrough, and followed up with another, before Blake Lovell and Jonny Thorpe were able to combine at the end to bowl the Tigers out for 156.
Despite and early wicket, Dean Harriss and Blake Lovell made early in roads into the total, before Blake was bowled for 24. Harriss proved the mainstay with 91, and despite losing 7 wickets along the way, Michael Anning was able to crash the boundary with 2 fours and book the home final next week at Ranelagh .
C2 were hit hard with a couple of late injuries, but were able to bring in the assistance of the McIntosh brothers from Sandford, and Life Member Phil Watson also helped out for the day.
Peter Pitt carried his bat through the innings for 75 not out, and Phil Watson showed he had lost nothing, pummeling a quick fire 31 to see North Houn post 163.
Snug were able to pass the total 4 down to end the North Huon C2 season. There have been some testing times for the side, but special thanks must go to all those that helped out throughout the year, especially the underage players that assisted so ably during the year.
Next week sees the second week of finals. With B Grade and C2 being able to put the feet up, and A Grade gaining the week off, focus will turn to C1 grade with a home final on Sunday at Ranelagh, with a Grand Final berth against Snug at stake. Make sure you get down and support the side from 11am.