The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) won the Meyer Shield Final yesterday with a four-wicket win over the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) at Johnstone Park in Murray Bridge. It is the third year in a row that the HCA has won the title. The Meyer Shield is held annually over the January long weekend with competition between six associations, Murray Towns (MTCA), Kangaroo Island (KICA), Torrens Valley (TVCA), Alexandra & Eastern Hills (AEHCA, Hills and Great Southern. This year the carnival was scheduled for Kangaroo Island but due to the terrible bushfire situation on the island, it was moved to the MTCA who did a great job at short notice. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the fires not only on KI but all areas of the Fleurieu Peninsula and beyond.



Great Southern batted first and were immediately under pressure as they fell to 3/27 inside the first 12 overs thanks to an excellent opening spell from Hills paceman Adam Carthew. Andrew Evans and Sam Hoffmann (41) then steadied the innings with a 47-run fourth wicket stand before Hills skipper Rohan Reid (2/35) got a double breakthrough as he removed both Evans and Hoffmann with Great Southern slumping to 5/81. Skipper Cam Lintern (41) was joined by Ben Griffiths (18) and these two got their team back in the contest as they added 55 runs for the sixth wicket. Just as they appeared set to push on, Great Southern lost their last 5/12 to be bowled out for 148 in the 50th over. Carthew came back for his second spell to claim the excellent figures of 6/39 (9.3) and he was well supported by his opening bowling partner, Kyle Petty, who claimed 2/24 from his 10 overs.

The target of 149 looked a bit under par as the Hills openers made their way to the middle of Johnstone Park but the Great Southern bowlers had other ideas as Hills were in early trouble at 3/34 with Evans (2/40) and Lintern (1/10) claiming the wickets. Hills got a couple of handy partnerships as Jake Turnbull and Steve Featherstone combined for a 25-run fourth wicket partnership followed by Turnbull and Rohan Reid who added 28 runs for the fifth wicket. However when Reid and Turnbull were dismissed in quick succession, Great Southern were well on top with Hills slipping to 6/91 in the 40th over. Jordan Neis-Beer joined Frank Clements in what would prove to be a match-winning partnership as Neis-Beer (17 not out) batted intelligently to hit the gaps and run hard, while Clements showed his shot-making prowess and power as he smashed four boundaries and four sixes on his way to 45 not out from just 33 balls. The winning runs were brought up by Clements’ fourth maximum in the 48th over as the partnership finished unbroken on 63 runs and the Hills team celebrated their first ‘Three-Peat’ in Meyer Shield Competition.