Mines blast their way into final

The final rounds of the 35-over competition in the Norwest Crane Hire Port Hedland Cricket Association 2017-18 season on Friday and Saturday confirmed a finalist.

Mines cemented a semifinal berth on February 17 with a five-wicket win over the winless South Hedland. Their opponents will not be known until after the final rounds this weekend.

Mines won the toss and invited the Southerners to bat and they soon had South in trouble, with the opening combination of Dan Lockley (1-17 from seven overs) and captain Taurean Williams (4-18) removing the first four batsmen with 13 runs on the board.

Yogesh Patel (27) and Mahesh Perera (26) steadied the innings with a 59-run stand before Jared Cizerle removed Patel and Julian Wilmott in the one over, and Williams accounted for Perera in the next, leaving the South Hedland tail exposed at 7-72.

The final four batsmen managed to outscore the top order, batting through the 35 overs to post a final score of 9-147.

Williams (50) and opening partner Troy Morrissey wiped 79 from the target, with Marty Tabak (20) and Lockley (26no) seeing the Miners home with 4.3 overs to spare.

On Friday night, Port avenged their loss to Wanderers earlier in the season with a big win to draw level with the “Green Machine” at the top of the table.

Port skipper Glen Robertson led with 45 runs and was supported by Nathan Smith in perhaps his last game with the club, chipping in with 30 as the Porters ran up 141.

Several dropped catches let top-of-the-table Wanderers down in the first game back after a six-week break. Reynardt Carlse (3-16) and Josh Standen (3-42) were the most successful Wanderers bowlers.

Port’s bowlers, led by country week captain Jarrad O’Dea (5-21) in his 100th game, tore through the the Wanderers’ early order, with only Davey Thomason (23) and Martin Ross (13) in double digits.

One of these two teams will advance directly to the grand final on February 24.

The other will meet Mines on February 17, Pink Stumps Day.