Bush and Burbs: How the Premier Cricket finals race is shaping up halfway through last round of regular season

The West Australian’s sports reporters take a look at what’s happening in the country and amateur leagues around WA in this weekly column. An enthralling battle for positioning inside the top six is playing out at the halfway point of the final round of the Premier Cricket regular season. Reigning premiers University are locked into first place but second-placed Mt Lawley, third-placed Willetton, fourth-placed Perth, fifth-placed Fremantle and sixth-placed Joondalup are all liable to trade places based on results which will be confirmed on Saturday. The competition’s finals system grants the highest-ranked loser in the first week of knockout games passage to the second alongside the three winners, meaning positioning inside the top six is crucial. Reigning premiers University are guaranteed a double finals chance regardless of the result of their top-of-the-table clash with Mt Lawley at James Oval but will be eyeing off a win when they resume at 0-23 in pursuit of the Hawks’ total of 222. On the first day of play on Saturday, WA spinner Corey Rocchiccioli (3-63 from 34.5 overs) got through a mountain of work for the Students and was well-supported by former State-contracted seamer Josh Vernon (4-56 from 19 overs). Former UAE international Darius D’Silva (62 from 97 balls) top-scored for the Hawks, who were without Adam Thomas due to the star import returning to the UK ahead of the County Championship season. Elsewhere, Willetton are positioned at 0-8 after Scarborough closed at 9dec-254 at Burrendah Park, Fremantle will resume at 1-0 in their effort to track down 223 posted by Melville at Tompkins Park and Perth have all the work to do to avoid defeat at the hands of Claremont-Nedlands at Fletcher Park, with the Tigers only 71 runs away from claiming first-innings points with nine wickets in hand. Joondalup’s batters have given their bowlers a fine platform in their quest for an outright win to shoot up the table, making 6-336 against Subiaco-Floreat at Floreat Park. The seventh-placed Lions were the only team outside the top six capable of breaking in if other results went their way and they notched an outright win over the Centurions, but that now appears only the most remote possibility. University and Willetton are also locked in a battle for the club championship, which will be determined by results across all four grades at the weekend. With two rounds remaining in the female Premier Cricket season, ladder-leaders Subiaco-Floreat, second-placed South Perth, third-placed Perth and fourth-placed Midland-Guildford are all locked into the finals.