Willunga completed a hat-trick of Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ‘A’ grade titles after defeating Goolwa by 51 runs in a low scoring Grand Final at Port Elliot yesterday. It was also Willunga’s fourth title in five seasons as the Demons have dominated the GSCA with just two losses in the past three campaigns. Willunga skipper Luke Harding won the toss on Saturday and had no hesitation in batting first as he opened the batting with Dane McPhail. This pair added 28 runs for the first wicket against a very disciplined Goolwa attack, led by Jayden Crees and Josh Jones. No Demons batsman could get going with Harding (14), McPhail (14) and Corey McIvor (17) all getting starts before Scott Brown, coming in at 5/77, top scored with 27 from 48 balls (4 x 4’s). Willunga was eventually dismissed in the 68th over for 119. Jones captured 4/33 from a marathon 27.4 overs, and he was well supported by Andy Evans (3/27), Crees (2/40) and James Lawrence (1/13). It was an excellent display by the Goolwa bowlers, bowling 25 maidens on the fast Port Elliot outfield.

The total of 119 wasn’t a big one for Willunga but it gave their excellent bowling lineup something to work with, and they got off to an almost perfect start as the Magpies quickly collapsed to 3/9 as opening bowlers Simon Roberts and Sean McIvor ran riot. Goolwa opening batsman Jesse Consalvo tried to resurrect the innings but when he went for 12 the score was 5/26 and the game was all but over. Crees tried hard as he battled his way to a gutsy top score of 21 not out but it was all in vain as Willunga wrapped up the Goolwa innings in the 41st over with the Magpies bowled out for 68. Roberts finished with 4/23 (20), while McIvor snared 4/34 (12). Luke Goldner also bowled well with figures of 2/5 from nine overs.

In other grades, Yankalilla won their second ‘B’ grade premiership in three years after defeating Myponga by five wickets, Myponga won the C1 flag with a six-wicket victory over Yankalilla, while the C2’s was taken out by Mount Compass after they were triumphant by eight wickets against Encounter Bay. In the Senior Colts, Port Elliot defeated Encounter Bay by nine wickets, while the result was reversed in the Junior Colts as the Bays won a thriller by 10 runs against Port Eliot Black.

So another season of Great Southern Cricket comes to a close with Willunga still the dominant force in the competition. Hopefully next season the situation of just six clubs in ‘A’ grade and 11 clubs in ‘B’ grade, gets balanced out to keep the competition strong and healthy.