Noarlunga won their third Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ‘A’ grade premiership on Sunday after defeating Port Elliot by 81 runs at Encounter Bay. Noarlunga finished fifth at the end of the minor round and had to win two cut-throat finals to make it through to the decider, while Port Elliot, who finished second on the ladder, defeated Encounter Bay in their semi-final to progress.

Noarlunga skipper Jason Scarff won the toss on Saturday and had no hesitation in batting first, but his side were soon in trouble as they slipped to 3/25. Cam Bullard then joined Jason Scarff in a vital 45-run stand for the fourth wicket before Scarff went for 33 (92 balls). Bullard continued on to make his highest score of the season with a match-winning knock of 87 from 149 balls (8 x 4’s). Lower-order cameos from Ben Stewart-Tonkin (24) and Jamie Keers (16) lifted the Shoes to a total of 201 before they were bowled out in the final over. Harrison Grenfell (3/40) and Simon Donaldson (3/41) were the leading wicket takers for Port Elliot. 

Port Elliot got off to a steady start in the run chase as they reached 0/23 after 13 overs before Jamie Keers was brought on to bowl. Keers struck with his first two balls, removing Hayden Gordge (10) followed by Tyson Somerfield (0). Opening batsman Liam Harris made 20 (68 balls), but wickets continued to tumble as the Bloods slumped to 6/49 just before the tea break. Keers, fresh off a six-wicket haul in the semi-final, was on fire and at one stage had the incredible figures of 5/9 from 11 overs, before eventually finishing with 5/22 (14). Ben Griffiths (27), Scott Hannam (17) and Grenfell (17) added some late-order resistance for Port Elliot, but when Bullard (4/48 from 19.4 overs) took the final wicket in the 55th over, it brought a winning end to Jason Scarff’s nine-year tenure as ‘A’ grade captain at Noarlunga. 

In the other senior grades, Noarlunga also came from fifth to win the ‘B’ grade grand final by four wickets over Mount Compass at Goolwa, Myponga-Sellicks went back-to-back in the ‘C1’ competition with a comfortable 63-run against Willunga at Noarlunga, while Yankalilla won the ‘C2’ flag with a tight three-wicket win over Encounter Bay at Willunga. In the junior grades, Encounter Bay won the Senior Colts premiership after a convincing 120-run win over Port Elliot, while the Junior Colts was taken out by Encounter Bay/Mount Compass following their three-wicket win against McLaren Districts SKY.