Reigning premier Lobethal defeated Nairne by 50 runs in the preliminary final on Saturday to progress to the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) Grand Final, where they’ll clash with undefeated minor premier Langhorne Creek. On Saturday, Lobethal batted first with Ben Matthews (55) and Sam Graeber (33) putting on 81 runs for the fourth wicket to underpin the Tigers’ innings of 168. Brodie Clarke was the standout bowler for Nairne with figures of 4/22 (9), and he was ably supported by Nick Williams (2/23), Matthew Hein (2/28) and Mitchell Hein (2/40). The Nairne run chase looked in reasonable shape as they reached 2/71 with Luke Timmins leading the way with a top scoring 41. The dismissal of Timmins led to a collapse of 8/47 with the Razorbacks dismissed in the 39th over for 118. Zac Llewellyn (21) was the only other Nairne batsman to pass 20 runs. Lobethal used eight bowlers with Lachlan Elsworthy (3/16), Matt Martin (2/17) and Mitch Weeks (2/20) leading the way. In the other senior grades, Mount Barker won the ‘A2’ competition following a convincing 10-wicket win against Woodside, Lobethal won the ‘B’ grade grand final by four wickets against Langhorne Creek, the ‘C’ grade flag was won by Ashbourne after they accounted for Woodside Blue by seven wickets, while the ‘D’ grade title was taken out by Macclesfield after they defeated Bremer/Callington by eight runs. In the junior grades, Hahndorf had a convincing 10-wicket victory over Nairne in the under 16’s, while Lobethal won the under 14’s after defeating Woodside by seven wickets.‘A’ Grade Grand Final (25/3/23)Langhorne Creek v Lobethal (12.30pm @ Langhorne Creek)

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. 

Great Southern Tennis AssociationGrand FinalGoolwa 4-6-43 defeated Inman Valley 2-3-32

Onkaparinga Tennis AssociationGrand FinalMacclesfield 14-14-102 defeated Woodchester 2-2-48

Great Southern Bowls Association - Open Pennant Division 1Grand FinalMcLaren Vale 68 defeated Clarendon 38

A Grade Women Semi-Final Strathalbyn v Hills Heat Masters In the first semi final for the A grade Women, Strathalbyn took on the Hills Heat Masters who batted first and had three up three down with Strath’s shortstop Chloe Zakelj taking two catches and centre fielder Emily Eglitis also taking a catch to end the innings. Strath came in for their first turn at bat and had safe hits to Kim Cutting, Kathryn Milne, Tessa Norris, Britt Jackson, Eglitis and Rebekah Mayes which brought in four runs with Masters catcher taking a high ball catch, an infield fly and an out at second for the three outs.The second dig for Masters had some safe hits and brought in one run with Strath making an out at first, a catch taken by Rebecca Sims at left field and Mayes taking a catch at right field. Strath’s second batting dig again had safe hits and included a three baser to Zakelj which brought in a further three runs while Masters made two outs at first and another out at second.Masters were up for their third turn at bat and had safe hits to Copperstone and Kel O’Brien with a three baser to Meg Chaplin which added a further two runs with Strath making two outs at first and Milne taking a catch at first to end the innings. Strath were held scoreless in the third with a catch taken by Emilie Noble and two at short stop by Sharon Perkins.The fourth dig for Masters had a couple of safe hits and produced two runs with Strath’s second baser Jarrah Taylor taking a catch and making an out at first and Zakelj taking another catch at short. Strath added another two runs to the tally and included a three base hit to Jackson with Masters left fielder taking a catch and two outs at first to send them from the diamond.Masters had a two base hit to Chaplin who eventually got home with Strath’s fielders making an out at first, Jackson taking a catch at third and Sims taking another catch at left. Strath had a safe hit to Taylor and a two baser to Cutting to bring home two runs with Masters making a tag out at second, a catch at right field by Gab Martin and a K2 to end the innings.The sixth turn at bat for Masters put them back within reach with three runs added and included a two base hit to Copperstone with Strath’s Jackson taking another catch at third, Zakelj making an out at first and then taking another catch. Strath needed to add runs to keep a safe margin and added one to Sims after getting on to base with a safe hit and being brought home by a two baser to Cutting before Masters' Chaplin, now at centre, took a catch, a tag out at home and another out at first ended the innings.Strath needed to protect their three run lead in the seventh and did, only allowing Masters to add one run before an out first, an out at third and Zakelj making a play at home to end the innings and the game. Final scores for the game were Strathalbyn 12 defeated Hills Heat Masters 10 to move on to the Preliminary Final against on Friday 24th March.

Reigning premier Stirling defeated Aldgate by 31 runs in the preliminary final yesterday to progress to the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) Grand Final, where they’ll clash with 2020/21 premier Mount Lofty. These two teams clashed last week in a thrilling qualifying final with Mount Lofty winning off the last ball of the match. Yesterday at Stirling Oval, the home side batted first and were soon under pressure at 2/3 with all-rounder Frank Clements (3/31) picking up both wickets. Jack Read was joined by Jacob Kemp (12) to add 53 runs for the third wicket, before Read went for 41 from 45 balls (5 x 4’s, 1 x 6). The loss of Read brought veteran left-hander Pete Fryer to the crease and he played the most valuable innings of the match with an unbeaten 49 from 85 balls (3 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s). The Eagles ended up posting 9/149 from their 45 overs. Other wicket takers for Aldgate included Jake Turnbull (3/22) and Shaun Atkins (2/30). Aldgate’s run chase started in disastrous fashion as they were reduced to 3/3 with Atkins (0), Mitch Thomas (0) and Josh Callaghan (1) all back in the pavilion. A partnership was desperately needed as Turnbull (24) and Clements (37) came together in a rescue mission. This pair put on 67 runs for the third wicket before they were both removed by Stirling skipper Jack Pick (2/27) and the score sat at a precarious 5/90. Will Quigley-Smith (13) was the only other ‘Gaters’ batsman to reach double figures as Aldgate were eventually bowled out for 118 in the 42nd over. Ethan Penck was the star with the ball for Stirling as he took his first five-wicket haul with figures of 5/15 from eight overs. Veteran fast bowler Chris Shaw, a proven finals performer, bowled a brilliant spell of 3/6 from 7.1 overs. In the other senior grades it was Grand Final day, with Stirling winning the A2 premiership after defeating Aldgate by seven runs in a nail-biter at Aldgate Oval, while Basket Range won the A3 title after also defeating Aldgate by 35 runs at the picturesque Basket Range Oval.A1 Grand Final (25/3/23)Mount Lofty v Stirling (12.30pm @ Heathfield Oval)

Great Southern Bowls Association - Women’s Pennant Division 1Preliminary Final resultsVictor Harbor 64 defeated Goolwa 61Grand Final (23/3/23 Encounter Bay @ 10.00am)Port Elliot v Victor Harbor

Minor premier Mount Lofty won a thrilling qualifying final against Stirling at Heathfield on Saturday, and will now host the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) Grand Final on the 25th of March. Needing two runs to win from the final ball of the match, Connor Milde struck a boundary to send the Redcaps straight through to the decider. Milde has history with hitting the winning runs in finals, having also got his previous club Aldgate over the line in the 2018/19 Grand Final off the last ball of the match. Earlier, Stirling batted first and were off to a disastrous start with opening pair Daniel Gonzalez (4) and Jack Read (0) back in the pavilion with the score at 2/9. The Eagles recovered to reach 5/114 with five overs remaining and a score of 150+ was a possibility with a strong finish. However, it wasn’t to be as the Redcaps claimed the last 5/16 as Stirling were bowled out in the 45th over for 130. Harrison Webb was the standout batsman for the Eagles with 46 not out (66 balls), while skipper Jack Pick made 28 (73 balls). Five Mount Lofty bowlers took wickets with Adam Carthew the best with 3/13 (8.3). Milde (3/48) and Peter Giannes (2/17) were the other multiple wicket takers. Mount Lofty also started their innings poorly with the dangerous Josh Healey (0) and veteran opener Nick Justice (8) dismissed and the score at 2/13. Redcaps skipper Jordan Neis Beer (19) was joined by Adam Carthew in a 44-run third wicket stand and Ryan Pistola (13) then put on 30 runs for the fourth wicket with Carthew. With 11 overs remaining, Mount Lofty required 43 runs to win as Milde joined Carthew. They added a further 34 runs before Carthew went for a determined 47 (103 balls). The equation was now down to nine runs required from 16 balls with Tim Noble at the crease with Milde. Milde dug deep to hit the winning runs and finish with a match-winning 36 not out from 40 balls (4 x 4’s, 1 x 6). Ethan Penck (2/32), Chris Shaw (1/24) and Pick (1/26) were the wicket takers for the Eagles.Aldgate brought an end to Meadows’ season with a comfortable 81-run victory in the elimination final at Meadows. It also brought an end to a remarkable run of Grand Final appearances for the Bulldogs, who had played in the previous 13 deciders (no game in 2019/20 due to COVID). On Saturday, Aldgate batted first and posted a competitive total of 6/189 from their 45 overs. The ‘Gaters’ innings was set up by a decisive 104-run fourth wicket union between skipper Jake Turnbull and Will Quigley-Smith. The pair came together with Aldgate in trouble at 3/51 in the 15th over, and weren’t separated until Turnbull went for 72 (103 balls) in the 40th over. Quigley-Smith finished with 46 not out (87 balls), while opening batsman Shaun Atkins made 34 (41 balls). Meadows opening bowlers Rohan Reid (2/42) and Chad Dawe (2/45) were the multiple wicket takers for Meadows. The Bulldogs were never really in the run chase with Haydn Reid (34 not out) the only batsman to pass 20 with the home side restricted to 9/108 from their 45 overs. Luke Smet (2/17) and Matt Lennon (2/12) were the multiple wicket takers for the ‘Gaters’, while Frank Clements got the key wicket of Rohan Reid on his way to figures of 1/2 from six overs. Preliminary Final (18/3/23)Stirling v Aldgate(12.30pm @ Stirling)

Undefeated minor premier Langhorne Creek stormed into the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) Grand Final following a comprehensive 138-run win against reigning premier Lobethal at Langhorne Creek on Saturday. The ‘Creeks’ batted first with skipper Brodie O’Dea and Daniel Kropp adding 57 runs for the first wicket before Kropp departed for 23 (36 balls). The best partnership of the innings came between O’Dea and Ben Warren, with this pair adding 73 runs for the third wicket with Warren contributing 49 from 52 balls (6 x 4’s). O’Dea continued on to notch his fourth century for Langhorne Creek with 124 from 133 balls (14 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s), as the home side finished with an imposing total of 4/239 from their 45 overs. Mitchell Weeks (1/34 from nine overs) and Matt Martin (0/25 from nine overs) were the most economical bowlers for Lobethal. ‘Lobey’ got off to a fair start in the run chase with an opening stand of 28 runs between Lachie Bates and Mitch Weeks, but it was all downhill after that with the northern Tigers losing their last 9/73 to be bowled out for just 101 in the 32nd over. Weeks (38) was the only batsman to pass 15. Kropp (4/24), Jack Humphries (2/19) and Troy Blackwell (2/25) were the multiple wicket takers for the ‘Creeks’. Nairne moved through to the preliminary final after a comfortable 107-run win against Strathalbyn in the elimination final at Nairne. The Razorbacks will now travel to Lobethal for a spot in the decider. Nairne batted first on Saturday and were in early trouble at 3/29, before veteran Luke Timmins (42) and youngster Zac Llewellyn (48) joined forces for a game-changing 80-run stand for the fourth wicket. This valuable partnership just laid the platform for the ‘Shane Kenney Show’. The big hitting middle order batsman came in during the 34th over and completely took over, smashing an amazing 10 sixes and four boundaries on his way to 99 not out from just 40 balls! Nairne finished on 6/239 from their 45 overs. Matthew Abbott (2/36) and Kane Gaiter (2/45) were the multiple wicket takers for Strathalbyn, while Matt Harris bowled an economical spell of 1/14 (9). ‘Strath’ got themselves into a decent position at 3/100 with Jake Beerenfels (14) putting on 47 for the fourth wicket with opening batsman Luke Cousins. Cousins dominated the Stallions’ innings with 84 from 94 balls (10 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s), but he received little support as his side lost their last 5/0 from 19 balls to be dismissed for 132. Nick Williams claimed his first five-wicket haul for the Razorbacks as he snared 5/16 (7). Kenney (1/0) completed a great day for himself and Nairne as he claimed the final wicket to see the Razorbacks move on to next week. Preliminary Final (18/3/23)Lobethal v Nairne (12.30pm @ Lobethal)

Port Elliot will take on Noarlunga in the Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) ‘A’ grade Grand Final at Encounter Bay this weekend. It will be the first time the two clubs have played off in a GSCA decider. Port Elliot qualified after defeating Encounter Bay by 18 runs at Burgess Oval yesterday, while Noarlunga defeated minor premier Goolwa by 72 runs at Encounter Bay.In the first semi-final, Noarlunga batted first and posted a competitive total of 147 before being bowled out in the 70th over. Most of the Noarlunga top order got a start with Jason Scarff (32), Travis Bronstein (23), Rohan Garrard (23), and Matthew Spaan (20) the leading run scorers. Jayden Crees (4/47), Josh Andrewartha (2/19), Shaun Burger (1/11), and Andy Evans (1/21) were the wicket takers for the Magpies. Noarlunga got off to a great start on day two as they reduced Goolwa to 5/27, with Josh Jones (20) the only batsman in the top-five to reach double figures. Fred Nissen (16), Burger (12 not out), Vic Robertson (10) and Dean Vickery (10) battled hard, but ultimately Goolwa were bowled out for just 75 in the 52nd over. Jamie Keers was the star with the ball for the Shoes with figures of 6/30 from 19.1 overs. It was Keers’ fourth five-wicket haul in ‘A’ grade ranks for Noarlunga. Harry Jackson (2/13), Jason Scarff (1/9) and Ben Stewart-Tonkin (1/23) were the other wicket takers for Noarlunga. Scarff was particularly miserly with 15 maidens in his 20 overs. In the second semi-final, Port Elliot won the toss and decided to bat first at Burgess Oval. Hayden Gordge (37) and Liam Harris (30) batted patiently to add 59 runs for the first wicket in 33 overs. Skipper Joel Harris (27) then put on 38 for the fifth wicket with Ben Griffiths as the Bloods finished with 6/180. Griffiths went on to top score with 44 not out from 53 balls. His innings included seven boundaries, with four coming in consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over of the innings. Dillon Burns (2/23) and Chris Butler (2/46) were the multiple wicket takers for Encounter Bay. The Bays got off to a disastrous start in their run chase yesterday with both openers dismissed without scoring and the score sitting at 2/10. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, but with the Bays’ gun left-hander Sam Hoffmann still at the crease, the game was still up for grabs. Hoffmann dominated the innings with a top-scoring 78 from 146 balls (12 x 4’s, 1 x 6) before he was run-out with the score on 8/129. This soon became 9/131 and it appeared all over before Kieran Garrett joined Caleb Polson for a last wicket stand. They gave Port Elliot a bit of a scare with a 31-run partnership before Garrett was dismissed for 11 (28 balls). Polson battled gamely to finish with 26 not out (67 balls) as Encounter Bay were bowled out for 162 in the 66th over. Chris O’Connor (3/17) and Simon Donaldson (3/65) were the multiple wicket takers for Port Elliot. Grand Final (18/3/23 & 19/3/23)Port Elliot v Noarlunga (Encounter Bay)

Onkaparinga Tennis AssociationPreliminary Final resultWoodchester 12-12-98 defeated John Wesley 4-4-62Grand Final (18/3/23 - 1.00pm @ Strathalbyn)Macclesfield v Woodchester

Great Southern Tennis AssociationPreliminary Final resultsInman Valley 4-6-38 defeated Myponga/Sellicks 2-4-36 Grand Final (18/3/23 - 1.00pm @ Goolwa)Goolwa v Inman Valley

Great Southern Bowls Association - Open Pennant Division 1Preliminary Final resultsClarendon 64 defeated Goolwa Black 59Grand Final (18/3/23 - 1.00pm @ Willunga)McLaren Vale v Clarendon

Great Southern Bowls Association - Women’s Pennant Division 1Semi-Final resultsGoolwa 82 defeated Encounter Bay Blue 43Port Elliot 52 defeated Victor Harbor 49Preliminary Final (10.00am @ Aldinga - Thursday 16/3/23)Victor Harbor v Goolwa 

Langhorne Creek completed an undefeated minor round as the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) season wrapped up on Saturday. The Tigers won 15 games and had three draws in the 18-game season. On Saturday they hosted a Macclesfield lineup that needed a win if they were to play finals. ‘Maccy’ sent the home side in and Langhorne Creek were more than happy to accommodate the Redbacks as they put up an imposing total of 4/302 from their 45 overs. Ben Warren top scored with 79 from 54 balls (10 x 4’s, 1 x 6) and he added 142 runs for the third wicket with James Dawson. Dawson went on to make 76 not out from 95 balls (7 x 4’s), while Daniel Kropp made 71 from 79 balls (7 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Kieran O’Connell (2/60) was the multiple wicket taker for Macclesfield. ‘Maccy’ reached 1/103, before losing their last 9/86 to be bowled out for 189 in the 40th over. Tom Filsell (41), Josh Lewis-Burns (36) and David Caddy (29) were the leading scorers for the Redbacks. Kropp completed a great day, taking the last four wickets, finishing with figures of 4/3 from 1.4 overs. Reigning premier Lobethal warmed up for their finals tilt with a comprehensive 91-run win over local rival Woodside. The Tigers batted first and made 8/180 from their 45 overs. Sam Graeber (45), Lachie Bates (30) and Ben Matthews (26) were the leading batsmen for Lobethal. All 11 Woodside players bowled (!) with seven of them taking wickets including Harrison Reid (2/25). Woodside only made it to the 21st over in the run chase as they were bowled out for just 89. Veteran Dave Wescombe hit a quickfire 40 (34 balls) and Tommy Baldock made 13 (25 balls), but no other Warriors batsman could reach double figures. Dave Huxter (4/29) and Cameron Winen (3/30) were the multiple wicket takers for Lobethal.Nairne finished the minor round in style with a comfortable eight-wicket victory at Hahndorf. The Magpies batted first with the innings underpinned by a half century from Hudson Trafford-Walker. He finished with 53 from 92 balls and was well supported by Daniel Jenner (33) and Noah Dunn (20 not out) as Hahndorf finished with 9/139. All six Nairne bowlers took wickets with Chad Harrop (2/19), Mitch Hein (2/22) and Jack May (2/35) leading the way. Richard Boscence (51 not out), Robert Crook (35) and Josh Hardy (32) led the Razorbacks to the total for the loss of just two wickets with 33 balls to spare. Mitch Bannister (1/8) and Lachlan Huxtable (1/20) were the Hahndorf wicket takers.Bremer/Callington won their fifth game of the season with a four-wicket win against finals-bound Strathalbyn on Saturday. The Stallions batted first with Matt Harris (51) and Luke Cousins (33) setting their team up for a good score. Brayden Gaiter (26 not out) and Chris Hanley (10 not out) added 33 runs for the ninth wicket as ‘Strath’ posted 8/169. Nathan Fitzgerald capped off a career-best season with 3/10 from nine overs. Fitzgerald finished the season with 40 wickets at an average of 10.60 to take out the AEHCA bowling honours for 2022/23. The Cobras were in early trouble in the run chase at 2/16, before Nathan Fitzgerald (43) and Johnny Fitzgerald (42) teamed up for a 61-run partnership. Graydon Brand contributed 20, but at 6/135 the game was on an even keel. Shannon Howie and Alex Durbidge then got their side over the line with an unbroken 38-run seventh wicket stand. Howie finished with 35 not out (5 x 4’s, 1 x 6). Six Strathalbyn bowlers took wickets with Mark Abbott (1/20) the most economical. Ladder - after round 18Langhorne Creek 66, Lobethal 50, Nairne 48, Strathalbyn 32, Macclesfield 30, Woodside 28, Bremer/Callington 22, Hahndorf 12. Round 1 Finals fixtures (11/3/23)Langhorne Creek v Lobethal (Qualifying Final @ Langhorne Creek)Nairne v Strathalbyn (Elimination Final @ Nairne)

The Great Southern Cricket Association (GSCA) finals commenced on Saturday with Encounter Bay and Noarlunga progressing through to week two of the finals series. Encounter Bay took on McLaren Districts at Mount Compass (Burgess Oval) in a match where an amazing 33 wickets fell. McLaren Districts batted first and were bowled out for just 63 in the 33rd over. Daniel Hoskin top scored with 13 (30 balls) for the Crushers. Bays’ skipper Blake Bailey was the destroyer with 5/18 from 13.1 overs, and he was well supported by Chris Butler (3/21). In the run chase, Encounter Bay were cruising at 2/43, with Finn Magor (18) top scoring, before a collapse of 6/13 saw them in strife at 8/56 and still eight runs short of victory. However, Caleb Polson (16 not out) got his side to safety before the Bays were bowled out for 79, an overall lead of 16 runs. Jett Holberton (4/31), Keith Schofield (3/17) and Jacob Banks (2/7) were the leading wicket takers for the Crushers. Batting a second time, McLaren Districts went after quick runs to try and set Encounter Bay some sort of target. Wickets fell regularly with Mark Elphick (27) the only batsman to pass 20, as his side were bowled out for 83. Bailey completed an excellent match with the ball for the Bays with 5/33 (9), giving him match figures of 10/51, while Chris Butler once again gave great support with 3/48 (8.1). This left Encounter Bay to get the small target of 68 runs for outright victory. Holberton (2/9) struck early to reduce the Bays to 2/3, before Sam Hoffmann (18 not out) and Magor (14) steadied the ship, and then rain washed out the remainder of the day with the score at 3/39. Encounter Bay will now face Port Elliot this weekend at Burgess Oval for a spot in the Grand Final. Noarlunga booked their spot in the semi-final against Goolwa, with a tight three-wicket win against Myponga-Sellicks at Encounter Bay. The Mudlarks batted first and got themselves into a good position at 3/78 with handy efforts from Michael Tomlinson (29) and Sean Haverty (26). Noarlunga hit back hard to take the last 7/22 as Myponga-Sellicks were bowled out for 100 in the 54th over. Can Bullard was the star with the ball for the Shoes with the excellent figures of 6/32 from a marathon 22 overs, while Ben Stewart-Tonkin snared 3/19 from 13 overs. Noarlunga had 16 overs to bat before stumps and they finished the day on 3/43. On day two, Jason Scarff (29), Matthew Spaan (20) and Sam Hehir (14) made handy contributions as the winning runs came up in the 40th over. Vinnie Nizzola (2/28) and Mitchell Farquhar (2/33) were the multiple wicket takers for the Mudlarks. Semi Finals (11/3/23 & 12/3/23)Goolwa v Noarlunga (Encounter Bay)Port Elliot v Encounter Bay (Burgess Oval)

Strathalbyn v Hahndorf Black (Hills Softball Association Under 14’s)The softball gods were smiling this morning, with perfect conditions for Strath’s U14’s last game of the season. Strath started strongly at bat, with their best batting effort so far seeing the maximum seven runs cross the plate. Eva Eglitis as lead off batter took a walk and showed aggressive base running to get around to third base before Lindsay Butler grounded a ball to third, scoring Eglitis and beating the play to first. Charlie Askew sent the ball to leftfield to move Butler around. Jack Walters followed with another walk before Meg Keenan faced loaded bases to hit a ground ball to shortstop, unfortunately forcing Askew out at third despite his brilliant slide. Tallera Spinks stepped up to hit the first pitch back to the pitcher, and was put out at first base before Zoe Williams  took a walk and was batted around the diamond by a great safe hit by Bailey Bradshaw past 2nd base. Nate Spinks joined the side again, up from the under 10’s and didn’t look out of place, taking a walk before Eglitis and Askew batted him around to score, both with brilliant left field hits. In reply, most of Hahndorf’s team made it safe to first on walks, after going deep into the count with great teamwork by Eglitis pitching to Bradshaw. The scores were level at 7-7 at the end of the first innings.In the second and final innings, Strathalbyn took more walks, with hits by Williams and Nate Spinks being gobbled up by the pitcher and the out made to first, but still enough to push the runners around the diamond. Askew rounded out the final out of the inning with a pop fly to the pitcher, after five runs by Strath crossed the plate. Strath got through their entire line up, and with the outs, brought in five runs. Askew stepped up to the pitching plate in Strath’s final defence with Walters donning the catching gear. A few walks were taken by Hahndorf, with Askew not far off the mark, but once his eye was in, all three outs were made by strike outs, with the only safe hit being well fielded by Williams in centrefield. A couple of unfortunate errors came back to bite, with six  runs scored by Hahndorf to take the game in the final moments by a single run. This concludes a brilliant developmental season for a team made up of players new to each other and new to the age group, with Strathalbyn hosting players from Pirates, Echunga and Macclesfield to fill up the team. We warmly welcome anyone interested in trying softball out, with our off-season academy focusing on technique, pitching and catching and open for all juniors (from U10 to U16 and beyond) in preparation for season 2023/24. 

Great Southern Tennis AssociationSemi-Final resultsGoolwa 3-4-44 defeated Inman Valley 3-4-34Myponga/Sellicks 5-6-48 defeated Port Elliot 1-2-33Preliminary Final (11/3/23 - home team named first)Inman Valley v Myponga/Sellicks