Aldgate and Mount Lofty remain the only undefeated teams in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) after round two action on Saturday. Aldgate had another convincing victory as they defeated Uraidla by nine wickets, while Mount Lofty chased down their victory target against Flagstaff Hill with 12 balls to spare.Aldgate travelled to Uraidla with both teams feeling confident after round one victories. The home side batted first and got off to an excellent start as Alex Hepinstall (28) and Ben Sheppard (21) added 40 for the first wicket before Aldgate skipper Jake Turnbull struck. Turnbull removed both openers followed by two more wickets as the Demons crumbled to 4/57. Turnbull finished with the excellent figures of 4/13 (8). He was well supported by Matty Hansen who claimed 2/25 (8). Simon Parker (22) was the only other Uraidla batsman to pass 20 as the Demons posted 9/113 from their 40 overs. Aldgate were untroubled in the run chase as Josh Callaghan (28) and Mitch Thomas (62 not out) added 82 for the first wicket before Callaghan was dismissed in the last over before drinks by Renzo Gaetan (1/24). 16 year-old Max Bilsborow was promoted to number three in the batting order and made 11 not out in his first ‘A’ grade innings for the Gaters.Mount Lofty and Flagstaff Hill were also first round winners as they clashed at Flagstaff Hill with the home side batting first. It was a cautious start by the Falcons as they inched along with Max Renfrey (22 from 61 balls) and Matt Emes (17 from 52 balls) putting on 37 for the first wicket. Once Emes was dismissed Angus Heaton (29 from 41 balls) gave the innings some impetus but no other Falcons batsman could pass 20 as the innings ended on 8/138. Adam Carthew was the pick of the Redcaps bowlers as he snared 2/18 (8) and he was well supported by Aaron Smith (3/35) and Will Healey (2/31). Mount Lofty were under immediate pressure in the run chase as Jono Coat and James Kittel-Neill were dismissed cheaply to leave Lofty reeling at 2/2. When the dangerous Smith was run out for 14, the visitors had slipped to 3/21 and the Falcons were well on top. Skipper Jordan Neis-Beer was playing a patient innings and he was joined by Bradley Hutton as this pair set about resurrecting the innings. They eventually added 92 runs for the fourth wicket in a match winning stand before Neis-Beer was dismissed for a pivotal 34 (102 balls). The undoubted star of the day was Hutton who made his first ‘A’ grade half century and finished on 74 not out from 79 balls (7 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s) as the winning runs were hit in the 38th over to give Mount Lofty a six-wicket victory.Meadows are on the board for 2020/21 following a convincing eight-wicket win at home over Stirling. The visitors batted first and compiled a seemingly competitive total of 156 before being bowled out in the 40th over. Daniel Gonzalez (34 from 48 balls) top scored for the Eagles with skipper Jack Pick (27 from 62 balls) and Jacob Kemp (23 from 39 balls) the only other Stirling batsmen to pass 20. Rohan Reid (3/27), Callan Blackwell (3/36) and Chad Dawe (2/19) were the multiple wicket takers for the home side. Meadows got off to a fast start through Haydn Reid (25 from 27 balls) and the returning Luke Tonkin who added a rapid 76 for the first wicket. Skipper Rohan Reid joined Tonkin as the score raced past 100 before Tonkin was dismissed for 57 from 49 balls (8 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Rohan Reid continued on his merry way to bring up his half century before finishing on 66 not out from 52 balls (11 x 4’s, 1 x 6) as the winning runs were brought up in just the 23rd over. Jack Pick (1/12) and Myles Collins (1/23) were the wicket takers for Stirling.Kangarilla also notched their first win of the season as they travelled to Cherry Gardens to take on Scott Creek Ironbank (SCIB). Kangarilla batted first and got off to a good start through the in-form Steve Featherstone and Jono Makai who put on 57 for the first wicket before Makai was dismissed for 26 from 28 balls (2 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Featherstone continued on to record his second consecutive half century before being dismissed for 56 from 85 balls (2 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). A score of 200+ appeared possible for the visitors but Scott Creek Ironbank hit back to take the last five wickets for just 18 runs as Kangarilla were dismissed in the last over for 180. Skipper Che Martinsen was the last man out for 37 (41 balls). Danny Coleman (3/45), Beua Thomas (3/45) and Nathan Abbott (2/4) were the multiple wicket takers for SCIB. The run chased started disastrously for the home side as they crumbled to 3/6. Darcy Campbell (15) and veteran Andy Adams tried to resurrect the innings but the damage was done as SCIB were bowled out for 122 in the 35th over. Adams played a lone hand with a fine 48 from 65 balls (5 x 4’s, 3 x 6’s). Ben McGowan provided some entertainment towards the end of the innings with a quickfire 21 from 22 balls (5 x 4’s). Martinsen continued his great day to snare 4/16 (8) and he was supported by teenager Ben Evans who took 3/26 (8).The competition will take a break next Saturday (24 October) for the AFL grand final with round three games scheduled for Saturday 31 October.Ladder (after round 2)Aldgate 12, Mount Lofty 12, Meadows 6, Flagstaff Hill 6, Kangarilla 6, Uraidla 6, Stirling 0, Scott Creek Ironbank 0 Round 3 fixtures (home teams named first)Flagstaff Hill v MeadowsAldgate v Mount LoftyStirling v KangarillaScott Creek Ironbank v Uraidla

Ben Warren had a day out last Saturday at Nairne to lead Langhorne Creek to a five wicket win over the Razorbacks during round one action of the Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (HCA). The home side won the toss and batted first with the returning Jarrad Tait getting the Razorbacks off to a good start with a hard-hitting 52 (56 balls). Tait and skipper Luke Timmins added 66 runs for the third wicket as Nairne progressed nicely to 2/122. Warren (3/23) then took three wickets in four balls to reduce the home side to 5/122 and the Tigers were on top. Timmins continued on to make a fine 57 (70 balls). Nick Melvin chipped in with a quickfire 23 (15 balls) before Nairne were bowled out for a competitive total of 202 in the 41st over. Troy Blackwell (3/48) was the other multiple wicket taker for Langhorne Creek. The Tigers got off to a fast start through Chris Russo (38 off 46 balls) and Adam Clements (21 off 15 balls) as they added 35 for the first wicket. Warren entered the fray at 2/67 and completely dominated the innings with his 13th century for the Creeks as he smashed his way to 101 not out from just 64 balls (6 x 4’s, 10 x 6’s). The game was still in the balance at 5/121 but Jacob Tonkin (21 not out) helped add an unbeaten 82 runs for the sixth wicket with Warren as Langhorne Creek knocked off the winning runs in the 34th over. Tait (2/33) and Chad Harrop (2/49) were the pick of the bowlers for Nairne.Bremer-Callington won a thrilling contest at Woodside by 10 runs to get their 2020/21 season off to a perfect start. The Cobras had five players making their ‘A’ grade debuts for the club with Ajay Pandir (42), Sandeep Kumar Huda (29) and Amit Maina (21) all making handy contributions with the bat. Johhny Fitzgerald (30) and Pandir added 60 runs for the fourth wicket and at 3/115, the Cobras were eyeing off a score of around 200. Once Pandir was dismissed the visitors lost their last seven wickets for just 50 runs to be bowled out for 165 in the 40th over. Steve Ball (4/40), Chris Baschiera (3/21) and Dale Robinson (2/21) were the multiple wicket takers for Woodside. The Warriors were under pressure immediately with Will Dunstall (21) the only batsman in the top five to make double figures as the home side slipped to a precarious 5/43. Sam Pullen (42) and Baschiera (30) got the Warriors back on track with a 75-run sixth wicket stand which took them within 48 runs of victory before Pullen and Baschiera were dismissed leaving Woodside at 7/126. Shane Collins tried hard with an important 23 but it wasn’t quite enough as they were bowled out for 155 in the 44th over. Five Cobra bowlers took wickets including Brad Clements (3/25), Kumar Huda (2/25) and Maina (2/27).Strathalbyn defeated Hahndorf by 56 runs at Hahndorf Oval in a rematch of last season’s qualifying final. The Stallions batted first and Luke Cousins and new recruit Zach Reekie added 64 for the first wicket before Reekie was dismissed for 22. Cousins was joined by skipper Mark Abbott (32) and this pair put on 84 for the second wicket as Strathalbyn got into a commanding position at 1/148. Both players were dismissed at this score with Cousins going for an excellent 80 from 109 balls and the innings stalled as the visitors were restricted to 9/197 from their 45 overs. Benny Montgomerie (3/22) and Michael Shanahan (3/29) were the multiple wicket takers for the Magpies. Hahndorf were never really in the hunt in the run chase with only Greg Hassold (40) and Shaun Tait (23) passing 20 as the reigning premiers were bowled out for 141. Matt Hein (3/23), Ben Cousins (3/24) and Brayden Gaiter (2/260 were the main destroyers for the Stallions.Lobethal made light work of a disappointing Wistow outfit to win their round one clash by 10 wickets at Lobethal Oval. Wistow batted first and were bowled out for just 67 in the 38th over. David Kinlough (27) and skipper Dan Jenner (10) were the only Echidnas to make it to double figures. All six Lobethal bowlers took wickets with Matt Martin (2/13) and Mitch Weeks (2/15) the multiple wicket takers. The Tigers wasted no time in knocking off the runs with Weeks (40 not out) and skipper Ben Matthews (20 not out) getting to the target in just the 14th over.Round 2 fixtures (home teams named first)Langhorne Creek v StrathalbynHahndorf v Mount BarkerWistow v WoodsideBremer-Callington v WoodsideNairne has the bye

Uraidla celebrated their return to ‘A’ grade ranks in the Hills Cricket Association (HCA) with an upset 54-run win over Meadows in round one action at Uraidla Oval. The Demons spent last season in the A2 competition and had four players making their ‘A’ grade debut in Mitch Makings, Mitch Ireland, George Bond and Ben Padfield. Meadows won the toss and sent the home side in and Uraidla got off to a solid start with Alex Heptinstall (22) and Ben Sheppard (20) adding 33 for the first wicket. Makings made a handy 18 on debut but at 4/80, the innings could have gone either way. The experienced Ryan Hunter (18) joined skipper Simon Parker and this pair put on an important 46 runs for the fifth wicket before Renzo Gaetan (12 not out) and Parker added an undefeated 37 runs for the sixth wicket to lift Uraidla to 5/163 at the end of their 40 overs. Parker played an excellent innings to finish with 49 not out (49 balls). Max Buckley was the only multiple wicket taker for Meadows with 2/40 from his eight overs. Uraidla opened the bowling with Bond (2/5) and Parker (1/18) and they gained early success as debutant Bond removed Lachlan Paterson (2) followed by the prized wicket of Rohan Reid (2) to leave the Bulldogs reeling at 2/17. Worse was to follow as Meadows slipped to 4/27. A comeback mission was mounted by veterans Haydn Reid (34) and Chad Dawe (17) as they added 39 for the fifth wicket but once they were dismissed, the end came quickly as Meadows were bowled out for just 109 in the 32nd over. Gaetan (3/18) and Thomas Bassett (2/16) were the other multiple wicket takers.Aldgate got their 2020/21 campaign off to a winning start with a convincing 111-run win at Cherry Gardens against Scott Creek Ironbank (SCIB). Aldgate batted first and got off to a fantastic start as Mitch Thomas and Josh Callaghan added 151 for the opening wicket. Callaghan played the sheet anchor role with 40 from 91 balls, leaving the way open for Thomas to make his first century with an excellent 113 from 118 balls (14 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s). Thomas punished the loose balls and played some excellent straight and cover drives. He was almost run out on 99 after a mix up with skipper Jake Turnbull which saw them both stuck in the middle of the pitch, but a fielding error saw Thomas home safe to register his ton. Aldgate finished with a daunting total of 5/213 from their 40 overs. Veteran Andy Adams was the standout bowler for SCIB as he took 1/25 from his eight overs. Scott Creek Ironbank were never in the run chase as Aldgate shared the wickets around. Darcy Campbell (27), Ethan Dinning (20) and Adams (18) were best with the bat for SCIB. Matty Hansen (4/17) took up from where he left off last season when he won the A1 bowling trophy. Hansen was well supported by new recruit Jack Woollard (2/18) and 14 year old debutant Thomas McCourt (2/28), as the home side fell for 102 in the 34th over.Flagstaff Hill caused another round one upset by defeating Stirling at Flagstaff Hill. The home side batted first and battled their way to a competitive total of 9/154 from their 40 overs thanks to some handy contributions from Stephen Wheatland (31), Angus Heaton (26) and Oliver Styles (23). Wheatland and Styles came together with the Falcons in strife at 5/77 and put on a pivotal 47 runs for the sixth wicket. Ned Hopgood (4/24) and Jacob Kemp (3/24) were the stars with the ball for Stirling. The visitors innings started disastrously as they slumped to 3/5 and it never really recovered as they bowled out for a paltry total of just 92 from 31 overs. Pete Fryer, batting at number nine, was the only Eagle to pass 20 as he finished on 28 not out. James Patterson (3/16), Max Renfrey (2/17) and Jack Walton (2/22) were multiple wicket takers for the Falcons who gave new skipper Jacob Lemon the perfect start to his tenure.In the tightest match of the round, Mount Lofty ground out an impressive three wicket win over Kangarilla at Heathfield Oval. Kangies were the big improvers last season as they finished in the top four for the first time since moving to the HCA back in the 2014/15 season while the Redcaps finished fifth last season. Kangarilla batted first and their innings was held together by opening batsman Steve Featherstone who made a patient 73 from 99 balls (6 x 4’s, 1 x 6). No other batsman in the top seven managed more than 10 and at 6/100, things looked bad for the visitors. Brodie May (33) joined Featherstone and this pair lifted the score to 6/162 and a total of close to 200 looked possible. Enter Max Hawke who claimed the last four wickets to finish with the incredible figures of 6/10 (5.5). It was Hawke’s first ever five-wicket haul as Kangarilla were bowled out for 166 in the 38th over. Mount Lofty started well with James Kittel-Neill and new recruit Jono Coat (12) adding 34 for the first wicket before skipper Jordan Neis-Beer joined Kittel-Neill in a 68-run second wicket partnership which saw Lofty reach 1/102 and seemingly into a winnable position. Kittel-Neill was dismissed for a fine 50 (64 balls) followed by Neis-Beer for 35 and all of a sudden the Redcaps lost 6/35 to be in trouble at 7/137. Aaron Smith (34 not out) was still there and holding the innings together and he got an ally in veteran Dave Bennett (11 not out) and these two lifted their team over the line in the 39th over. Cole Davy (2/23) and Featherstone (2/30) were the multiple wicket takers for Kangarilla.

The Great Southern Bowls Association (GSBA) Open Pennant season gets underway tomorrow (10 October). There are six divisions in Saturday Open Pennant for the 2020/21 season. The Women’s Pennant has three divisions that play on Thursday mornings, starting on the 15th of October.GSBA Open Pennant Division 1 fixtures (Saturday 10 October - 1.15pm)Goolwa White v StrathalbynEncounter Bay v McLaren ValePort Elliot v Victor Harbor WhiteVictor Harbor Blue v YankalillaWillunga v Goolwa BlackGSBA Women’s Pennant Division 1 fixtures (Thursday 15 October - 10.00am)Encounter Bay v GoolwaMcLaren Vale v YankalillaPort Elliot v Victor HarborWillunga v Myponga

The Alexandra & Eastern Hills Cricket Association (AEHCA) ‘A’ grade season gets underway on Saturday (10 October) with nine teams battling it out for the premiership. This will be the third consecutive season the ‘A’ grade competition will feature nine teams and once again it will be a 45-over one-day format.Hahndorf won their first ‘A’ grade flag since 2001/02 last season after being the highest ranked qualifier for the grand final. The decider against Langhorne Creek wasn’t played due to the COVID-19 situation therefore the Magpies were declared premiers. They had qualified for the grand final by defeating minor premier Strathalbyn in the qualifying final. Ryan Trafford-Walker has taken over as ‘A’ grade skipper from Kris Dawe while Jarrad Tait has returned to Nairne after two successful seasons at Pine Avenue. Veteran batsmen Andrew Baker (515 runs) and Greg Hassold (321 runs) led the way with the bat for the Magpies and they were ably supported by the consistent Graydon Brand who scored 314 runs. Hahndorf has good depth in its bowling stocks with Caleb Blesing, Michael Shanahan, Benny Montgomerie and Lachlan Huxtable combining for 72 wickets last season.2018/19 premier Langhorne Creek made their way into the 2019/20 grand final with wins against Lobethal and Strathalbyn in the finals series. The chance for back-to-back flags in a rematch with Hahndorf was beckoning until the season was abandoned. The Tigers are sure to be around the mark again this season and have been buoyed by last season’s boom recruit Brodie O’Dea, being cleared ‘full time’ from Pekina/Carrieton Cricket Club. O’Dea played eight games last season and scored 346 runs at 49.43 and also snared 15 wickets at 13.60. Last season's leading run scorer Nathan Wundersitz, who scored 476 runs, won’t be available every week while Brad Clements has moved to Bremer-Callington. Matt Tonkin will lead the Tigers ‘A’ grade for a seventh season. Troy Blackwell will again lead the attack after taking 26 wickets last season and veteran Ben Warren will look to add to his incredible career tallies of 626 wickets and 8,275 runs. 15 year old Riley Tonkin should get an opportunity at some stage during the season and Daniel Kropp will also look forward to more opportunities. Strathalbyn’s ‘A’ grade premiership drought continues after the 2019/20 minor premier went out of the AEHCA finals in ‘straight sets’ at the hands of Hanhdorf and Langhorne Creek. The Stallions held down top spot for the second half of the season but couldn’t get over the line in the finals and they’ll be driven to go at least one step further in 2020/21. Veteran Nathan Pelle will be a big loss both on and off the field as he has headed overseas but the Stallions have brought in a couple of handy recruits. 20 year old opening batsman Zach Reekie joins the club from the Adelaide Cricket Club. Reekie has played ‘A’ grade district cricket and will be an excellent addition. Matt Harris has also joined the club from Ashbourne. Harris is a 21year old all-rounder who is keen to test himself at ‘A’ grade level. Mark Abbott will continue as skipper for a seventh consecutive season and as usual, his all-round talent will be a big factor for the Stallions. Strathalbyn’s bowling  got them out of trouble in many games last season with Brayden Gaiter (34), Matt Hein (32) and Matt Abbott (31) taking 97 wickets between them so batting is an area they will be keen to improve on and with Reekie joining Mark Abbott, Matt Abbott and Luke Cousins in the top order they look very strong.Lobethal was a real success story of 2019/20. After losing their first three games of the season, the Tigers went through the rest of the minor round undefeated before falling to Langhorne Creek by 34 runs in the elimination final. Ben Matthews will once again lead the youthful Tigers and they’ll welcome back former premiership captain Kristan Georgiou as well as Josh Birtles, who has joined the Tigers from Mt Torrens/Charleston. Birtles has taken 70 ‘A’ grade wickets in the past four seasons for the Torrens Valley Cricket Association (TVCA) club. Matthews (409 runs), Mitchell Weeks (365) and Daniel Norsworthy (341) were the mainstays of the batting lineup last season and they’ll once again be a key to Lobethal’s success. The bowling stocks look good as well with Dave Huxter, James Elliott, Matt Martin and Weeks combining for 86 wickets last season and they will be boosted by the addition of Birtles in 2020/21. Look for the Tigers to continue their improvement this season. After appearing in finals action in all eight seasons since coming across from the TVCA, Woodside surprisingly missed out on the major round last season after losing three of their last four games. Brad Collins will once again lead the Warriors who will be desperate to return to major round action. Veteran Dave Wescombe had another excellent season with the bat in 2019/20 as he scored 557 runs at 46.42 to win the AEHCA batting aggregate. He was well supported by Will Worthington (299 runs) and Tommy Baldock (293 runs). The Warriors will look to these three batsmen and hopefully some other useful contributors to post a winning score. With the ball, Dale Robinson led the way with 20 wickets while Chris Basciera snared 19 scalps. The Warriors will hope Shane Collins, who took 12 wickets last season, will return to his best form which saw him take 150 wickets in the previous five seasons after crossing from Nairne.  After winning nine premierships in 10 seasons, Nairne has gone through a bit of a ‘rebuilding’ phase in the past couple of years after losing a huge amount of premiership experience. They have remained competitive finishing fifth in 2018/19 and sixth in 2019/20. The Razorbacks will be buoyed by the return of Jarrad Tait after he spent the past two seasons at Hahndorf. Tait will take up a mentoring role as well as being a key part of the ‘A’ grade. Brodie Clarke also returns after captaining Sturt in the SACA under 16 competition and Shane Kenney, who only played a few games last season, will be available. Veteran fast bowler Michael Harden has hung up the boots after playing in four premierships and taking 189 wickets for the Razorbacks. Luke Timmins will once again skipper the ‘A’ grade and he’ll look to lead by example as he did in 2019/20 when he scored 358 runs for the season. Timmins will hope Robert Crook can continue on from a career-best season where he scored 435 runs including two centuries to finish sixth in the AEHCA batting aggregate. Sam Rowe (17 wickets), Chad Harrop (16) and the ever reliable Mitch Hein (15) led the wicket takers for Nairne last season and these three will be complemented by the returning Tait who is recognised as one of the best bowlers in the competition. Bremer-Callington had a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, winning just three games and finishing in seventh position on the ladder. The Cobras have been active in the off-season adding a number of recruits including Nick Williams from Port Adelaide, Sam Rushe (Jervois), Brad Louch (Meadows), Brad Clements (Langhorne Creek) and three players from Mawson Lakes in Amit Maina, Ajay Pundir and Sandeep Huda. Stewart Leigh has been appointed ‘A’ grade skipper for 2020/21. Johnny Fitzgerald (346 runs) and Arsalan Eubaid (292) led the way with the bat last season but no other Cobra made more than 200 runs for the season so this will be a major focus in 2020/21. Nathan Fitzgerald took 21 wickets last season to finish in the top-10 on the AEHCA wicket takers list but he needs more support and with the new recruits he may well get it. There’s plenty happening at Callington with a new turf wicket being put in this season meaning both ovals will have turf facilities, an electronic scoreboard has been installed and new clubrooms are being built as we speak. Mount Barker will embark on their third season back in ‘A’ grade ranks with a new coach in Brad Horsell. Horsell joined the Kookaburras last season after playing stints at Port Districts and Belair and made a whopping 1,054 runs in the ‘B’ grade competition. Simon Turk, Rhys Paterson and Jackson Lane will form the ‘A’ grade leadership group in 2020/21. Turk joined the ‘Burras last season and had an immediate impact scoring 382 runs and taking 10 wickets in a fine all-round display. Wayne Buckland scored 300 runs last season but he has ‘temporarily’ retired and Rhys Paterson managed just 213 runs for 2019/20, but he’s a classy player and should score more runs this season. Teenager Hayden Lane really stepped up in just his second season in ‘A’ grade company to lead the ‘Burras bowling attack with 18 wickets for the season and the youngster should improve further with experience.Wistow are looking for a much improved 2020/21 season after posting just one victory last season. The Echidnas are celebrating their 125th anniversary and hopefully this will inspire the young playing group to greater heights. Gun all-rounder Dan Jenner will once again lead Wistow. Jenner has made 2,898 runs and taken 112 wickets in his five seasons on the ‘hill’ at Wistow and is one of the best players in AEHCA ranks. David Kinlough with 350 runs and Lachlan Elsworthy, who has taken 88 wickets over the past four seasons, will need to step up once again. In good news for the Echidnas, top order batsman Matt Chapman is back from a serious knee injury and will be raring to go and they have also picked up an extra bowler in Josh Fidler from Mount Lofty. Fidler only played a couple of games at Heathfield last season after coming up from Mount Gambier. Fidler has a good record in the Mount Gambier competition having most recently played for North Gambier. Wistow will once again focus on bringing on their youth, having played at least half a dozen ‘colts’ in ‘A’ grade last season. The Echidnas also have three senior sides for the first time in a while which is a good sign for the future.Round 1 fixtures (home team named first)Hahndorf v StrathalbynNairne v Langhorne CreekLobethal v WistowWoodside v Bremer/CallingtonMount Barker has the bye

The Hills Cricket Association (HCA) season gets underway on Saturday (10 October) with eight clubs chasing ‘A’ grade premiership glory. The competition has undergone a major overhaul in the off-season with two-day cricket going the way of the dinosaurs, to be replaced by a one-day competition comprising 16 rounds. Matches will be 40-overs per side with fielding restrictions for the first 10 overs, where only two fielders are allowed outside the ‘fielding circle’. There will be ‘legside’ wides where any ball passing 30cm outside the leg stump will need to be re-bowled, along with free hits for front-foot no balls. After finishing on the bottom of the ladder last season, Bridgewater has dropped to the A2 competition while Scott Creek Ironbank and Uraidla have rejoined ‘A’ grade ranks after a two season and one season absence respectively.After winning 12 of the past 15 ‘A’ grade premierships, Meadows will again be one of the teams to beat. Rohan Reid is back for a third stint as captain this season as 2019/20 captain Brad Dawe has moved to the Goodwood Cricket Club in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association. Brad Louch has moved to Bremer-Callington while Matthew Pethick has decided not to play in 2020/21. The Bulldogs are hopeful multiple-premiership opening bowler Gus Frazer will return this season and they will welcome some new players including Dan Ryan and Jayde Wheadon who have moved into the area. With some experience going out of the team, it will give more opportunity to some young players in Oscar Tydeman, Will Bevan-Giles and Cade Long. Rohan and Haydn Reid will once again play a big role with the bat for Meadows and there’s no doubt the reigning premiers will be around the mark as always.2018/19 premier Aldgate finished second last season and have kept their playing list pretty much intact and have added a key recruit in Jack Woollard from the Palmer Cricket Club. Woollard captained Palmer to the Torrens Valley Cricket Association (TVCA) grand final last season and in the past five seasons in the TVCA, has taken 111 ‘A’ grade wickets. Jake Turnbull has taken over as senior coach and will continue as ‘A’ grade skipper for a third season. Youngsters such as Jake Bilsborow, Harry Morbey, Will Quigley-Smith and Angas Wauchope will put their hand up to add to their ‘A’ grade experience from the past couple of seasons. HCA ‘Cricketer of the Year’ Frank Clements (467 runs and 11 wickets) will once again be a huge part of the Gaters premiership hopes along with left-arm swing bowler Matty Hansen who had a breakout 2019/20 campaign taking 28 wickets to win the A1 bowling aggregate.Stirling had another solid season finishing third in 2019/20, their third top-four finish in a row. The Eagles will once again be led by top order batsman Jack Pick and they will be looking for their young players such as Myles Collins, Jack Read, Jacob Kemp and Ned Hopgood to take another step forward. A strong crop of last season’s under 16’s including Bayley James, Charlie Fryer and Kurt Zytnik will also push for ‘A’ grade selection. Top order batsman, Ben Zampa, will also play some part in the season despite now living in Sydney. Daniel Gonzalez (300 runs) and Pete Fryer (23 wickets) led the Eagles statistically in 2019/20 and they’ll be big keys to the Eagles’ success this season.Kangarilla made huge strides last season to secure their first top-four finish since joining the HCA ranks for the 2014/15 season. ‘Kangies’ recruited well with players such as Cole Davy and Carlos Venter having a positive impact on the club. The one-day format should complement Kangarilla’s playing style with players such as Jono Makai, Steve Featherstone and Davy capable of scoring quickly. Che Martinsen will once again lead Kangarilla and he is a proven all-rounder while Matthew Bertelsmeier will look to add to his fine season in 2019/20 where he scored 352 runs and finished fifth overall in the HCA batting aggregate.The boys from Yaroona Oval have added talented teenager Lachlan Knight to their playing list for the upcoming season. Knight played senior cricket with Southern Districts last season and also played under 16’s for Scott Creek Ironbank where he scored 456 runs at an average of 91.20. Kangarilla would be confident they can continue their improvement from last season into 2020/21.Mount Lofty narrowly missed out on finals action by just half a game in 2019/20 and they’ll be determined to rectify that this season. Once again the Redcaps will be led by top order batsman Jordan Neis-Beer. Neis-Beer led the Mount Lofty batting last season with 243 runs and will look to players such as Nick Justice, James Kittel-Neill and Josh Healey to produce more support with the bat. Adam Carthew will once again lead the attack as he has done for the past five seasons where he has taken 109 wickets in the A1 competition, including 21 scalps last season. Carthew showed his class last season with a match-winning 6/39 in the Meyer Shield final against Great Southern. Former West Torrens cricketer Aaron Smith joined the Redcaps for the second half of last season and will continue in 2020/21. Smith showed signs of what the Lofty boys hope will be a regular occurence when he top scored (54 not out from 61 balls) against Meadows in the final match last season.Flagstaff Hill had to win their final match of last season to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon and there have been plenty of changes in the Falcons nest in the off-season. Club champion Kyle Petty and opening batsman Will Goulding have departed for Flinders Park in the Adelaide Turf competition while Mick Taylor has left as coach to take up a role with the Coromandel Cricket Club. The Falcons have brought in former player Marty Clifton as senior coach and he brings a wealth of experience in coaching and will be a key to the Falcons growing and developing their young players in what the club has described as a rebuilding phase. Club stalwart Jacob Lemon has been appointed as ‘A’ grade skipper and he is joined in the leadership group by Max Renfrey, Steve Wheatland and Jack Walton. Scott Creek Ironbank are back in the A1 competition for the first time since the 2017/18 season. SCIB has won the past two A2 premierships and with Bridgewater going down, they were asked by the HCA to come up. Unfortunately they will be without their captain and leading run scorer from last season in Adam Shearwood who succumbed to a knee injury over winter. Shearwood scored 574 runs at 63.78 in 2019/20 so he will be a big loss. Veteran all-rounder Andy Adams scored 228 runs and took 11 wickets last season and he will be a big key to his club’s fortunes along with Thomas Watton who made 218 runs and took 15 wickets in 2019/20. Scott Creek Ironbank will look to their young players to step up to ‘A’ grade standard and if Ben McGowan can recapture his bowling form from the first half of the 2010’s when he was one of the best opening bowlers in the competition, SCIB could be a dangerous proposition. In off-field news, the club will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the merger between Scott Creek and Ironbank cricket clubs.Uraidla are also back in ‘A’ grade ranks after a one year hiatus in A2 where they finished second at the end of the minor round. Alex Hepstinall had a standout season in ‘B’ grade ranks as he led the association with 794 runs at 61.08 and he will be the key to Uraidla making defendable totals in ‘A’ grade. Ben Sheppard (381 runs), Michael Parker (298 runs) and Simon Parker (298 runs) will also be important players for Uraidla. On the bowling front, Renzo Gaetan is a proven performer as is Simon Parker. Youngster George Bond stepped up to ‘B’ grade last season and took 12 wickets and he will continue to improve with experience. Round 1 fixtures (home team named first)Uraidla v MeadowsScott Creek Ironbank v AldgateFlagstaff Hill v StirlingMount Lofty v Kangarilla

Langhorne Creek have won their third ‘A’ grade premiership in a row following a convincing 61-point triumph over Encounter Bay in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) grand final at Langhorne Creek on Saturday. The game was a rematch of the second semi-final where the Hawks prevailed by a point and on a hot spring day, that week off proved to be vital for the reigning back-to-back premiers. Encounter Bay got off to the perfect start as their skipper, Tyson Neale kicked the first goal of the match but Langhorne Creek bounced back quickly with two goals of their own. The Bays finished the quarter well as they added three more goals through James Bradford, Andrew Fyfe and Callum Tonkin to take a handy 13-point lead into the first break. The Creeks had use of the slight breeze blowing to the southern end in the second quarter and they started well with playing-coach James Sellar taking a contested mark and converting before Gary Karpany answered quickly with his first major for the Bays. The Hawks started to get on top as they kicked the next three goals to hit the front before Karpany levelled things up with an excellent set shot from a tight angle in the forward pocket. With five minutes left in the first half the scores were all locked up at 7.5 (47) apiece and with seven lead changes already, we were set up for a classic. The reigning premier had other ideas as they slammed on three late goals through Mitch Cleggett, his third for the term, Jake Dominish and Matt Dominish to take an 18-point lead at halftime, 10.5 (65) to 7.5 (47). Encounter Bay were still well and truly in the game and needed to make use of the breeze to the southern end in the ‘premiership quarter’. The term became a real arm wrestle, just as Langhorne Creek would’ve wanted, and the Hawks managed to kick three goals to one and turn for home with a 27-point lead and a vocal home crowd behind them. Sellar limped off the ground halfway through the third term which sent a scare through the Langhorne Creek camp but he was back on in the last quarter to kick a further two goals as the Creeks ran away with the game booting eight goals to two to win 21.6 (132) to 10.11 (71). The Hawks kicked an incredible 11.1 after halftime. Sellar finished with four goals for Langhorne Creek and he was ably supported by Mitch Cleggett, Lachie McGregor and Matt Tonkin who all kicked three goals. Karpany and Josh Graham each kicked two goals for the Bays. Matt Tonkin played a fantastic game to be named best on ground. Joining him in the Hawks best players were Matt Dominish, Tom Derham, Alex Cleggett, Troy Blackwell and Ben Arbon. Best players for Encounter Bay were Bradford, Thomas Neville, Wade Sweetman, Josh Marshall and Fyfe.In the reserve grade, Langhorne Creek got the day off to a great start on their home deck as they held out a brave McLaren Eagles outfit to win by a point, 6.3 (39) to 5.8 (38). The Hawks didn’t kick a goal in the second half and McLaren did all the attacking in the last quarter but could only manage a wayward 1.4 for the term as the Hawks held on. Graydon Brand was a tower of strength all day for the winners to be named best on ground.The senior colts and junior colts grand finals were played yesterday at Strathalbyn with Goolwa/Port Elliot completing an undefeated season with a 39-point win over Willunga while Encounter Bay defeated Willunga by 12 points in the senior colts.

Willunga has pulled off an upset for the ages by defeating the seemingly unbeatable Victor Harbor by seven goals in the Great Southern Netball Association (GSNA) League grand final on Saturday. Victor were gunning for a fifth consecutive title while Willunga were hoping to overturn the 2019 result, when Victor Harbor prevailed by six goals, and win their first GSNA League title. The reigning premier were overwhelming favourites as they had won the clashes between these two teams in 2020 by a whopping 46 and 47 goals! Strange things can happen in finals and so it transpired on Saturday as after a tight opening quarter saw Willunga lead by a goal, Victor hit back to lead by five goals at halftime. The game took a decisive turn in the final quarter when Victor Harbor’s Sarah Chigwidden was sent off leaving them with six players and later Taylor McKinnon was also sent from the court to leave Victor with just five players as Willunga surged to a 68-61 victory. Willunga Goal Attack Nicole Lander topped off a great day to be adjudged best on court.Victor Harbor had some joy earlier in the day when they took out the Senior 2 title with a 48-44 win over Langhorne Creek.

Encounter Bay will face off with reigning premier Langhorne Creek on Saturday in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) grand final after defeating Willunga by 40 points in the preliminary final at Victor Harbor on Saturday. Langhorne Creek will be gunning for a third consecutive ‘A’ grade flag while Encounter Bay last won in 2015. It was an even first quarter on Saturday with each side kicking three goals and Willunga taking a three point lead into quarter time. In the second term, the Bays continued their perfect record in front of goal as they pushed ahead to lead by eight points at halftime, 6.0 (36) to 4.4 (28). It was anyone’s game at halftime but the third quarter, as it so often does, proved crucial as Encounter Bay kicked four goals to one and took a very handy 28-point lead to three quarter time. Willunga had the aid of the breeze in the last quarter so there was still some hope but Encounter Bay snuffed out any chance the Demons had as they slammed on another five goals to two in the final stanza to win 15.2 (92) to 7.10 (52). The sides had the same amount of scoring shots but the Bays accuracy proved the difference. Tyson Neale kicked five goals for the victors and Nick Marshall kicked three. Mitch Portlock and Braden Altus each kicked two goals for Willunga. James Bradford, Callum Tonkin, Wade Sweetman, Neale and Hamish Tonkin were named in the best players for Encounter Bay while for Willunga, their best were James Collier, Lachlan Scott, Nick Scanlan, Brett Miegel and Jake Standfield. It’s all set up for a fantastic clash in the 'A' grade grand final at Langhorne Creek on Saturday and hopefully we get a similar match to when these two sides met in the second semi-final when Langhorne Creek prevailed by a point. Bring it on!Grand Final fixtures (Saturday @ Langhorne Creek)‘A’ grade: Langhorne Creek v Encounter Bay (2.00pm)Reserves: McLaren v Langhorne Creek (12.15pm)Grand Final fixtures (Sunday @ Strathalbyn)Senior Colts: Encounter Bay v Willunga (12.30pm)Junior Colts: Goolwa/Port Elliot v Willunga (10.30am)

Flagstaff Hill won their fifth straight ‘A’ grade premiership in the Southern Football League (SFL) following a comprehensive 66-point victory over Noarlunga on Saturday at Flinders University Stadium. ‘Flaggies’ had a dominant season winning all 11 games in 2020 by an average of 67 points. The game was all but over at quarter time after the Falcons came out firing to kick nine goals to one and take a commanding 51-point lead into quarter time. Noarlunga were shell shocked but to their credit they kept pace with the reigning premier in the second term to kick three goals each but the margin increased slightly to 53 points at the long break. Flagstaff Hill could smell victory and an incredible five consecutive titles and they put the game well and truly to bed in the third quarter as they kicked four goals to one and turned for home with an unassailable 73-point lead. The Shoes kept trying to the bitter end as they kicked four goals to two in the last quarter to reduce the margin slightly, with the final score being Flagstaff Hill 18.13 (121) to Noarlunga 9.1 (55). David Kearsley from Flagstaff Hill won the James Warren Best on Ground Medal. He was joined in the best players for the Falcons by Sam Tharaldsen, Brad Patterson, Ben Rossi, Chris Puiatti and Daniel Webb. Best for the Shoes were Vic Robertson, Reece Martell, Zac Williams, Sam Carlyle and Ben Goldfinch. As they have done all season, Flaggies shared the goals around with 10 different goal kickers including Daniel Butcher (4) and Sam Smith (3). Robertson and Martell each kicked three goals for Noarlunga.In other grades, Flagstaff Hill won the ‘B’ grade in a tight one by seven points over Noarlunga and the under 17.5 grand final was also won by the Falcons who defeated Happy Valley by 11 points. At Port Noarlunga on Friday night, Reynella defeated Christies Beach by 23 points in the under 15’s decider while Reynella also tasted premiership success in the under 13’s as they defeated Cove by seven points.

Noarlunga are through to their second grand final in a row following a 15-point win over Christies Beach in the Southern Football League (SFL) preliminary final on Saturday. The Shoes made a slow start to the season after dropping their opening two games but they’ve turned their form around as they head into a grand final rematch with the imposing Flagstaff Hill lineup. Noarlunga led at every change by seven points at quarter time, six points at halftime and 13 points at the last change before winning 13.10 (88) to 11.7 (73). Vic Robertson was a star up forward for the Shoes as he kicked seven goals in a best on ground performance. He was well supported by Tom Caudle who kicked four majors. Blake Carter also kicked four goals for Christies Beach and James Pratt kicked three. Joining Robertson in the best players for Noarlunga were Zac Williams, Nathan Schulz, Sammual Miller, Caudle and Sam Carlyle. SFL Mail Medalist Michael Mazey was best for the Saints and he was ably supported by Shaun Tanner, Josiah Sheppard, Carter, Pratt and Ryan Parry. So in a mirror image of the 2019 decider when Noarlunga were undefeated and Flagstaff Hill were the challenger, in 2020 the Falcons haven’t lost and will look for a fifth consecutive title against a desperate Noarlunga outfit.In the Sunday competitions there were a couple of grand final thrillers with Hackham taking out the ‘C’ grade premiership by just two points against Port Noarlunga while Reynella won the Under 14’s decider, also by two points, against Happy Valley.Grand Final fixtures (Friday 25/9/20)Under 13: Reynella v Cove (6.00pm @ Port Noarlunga)Under 15: Christies Beach v Reynella (7.30pm @ Port Noarlunga)Grand Final fixtures (Saturday 26/9/20)‘A’ Grade: Flagstaff Hill v Noarlunga (2.10pm @ Flinders University Stadium)‘B’ Grade: Flagstaff Hill v Noarlunga (12.05pm @ Flinders University Stadium)Under 17.5: Happy Valley v Flagstaff Hill (10.00am @ Flinders University Stadium)

Langhorne Creek are through to their third Grand Final in a row after a thrilling one point victory over Encounter Bay in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) second semi-final at Willunga on Saturday. The Hawks will go into the 2020 decider looking for three flags on the trot. Encounter Bay started the game well to lead by 11 points at quarter time and at one stage in the second term led by as much as 29 points, before the Hawks hit back to reduce the margin to a manageable 18 points at halftime. Langhorne Creek kicked three goals to none in the third quarter to hit the front at the last change by just two points and a big finish was on the cards. The Bays wrestled back momentum in the final quarter with the first three goals to skip out to a 17-point lead and they had one foot in the grand final. Langhorne Creek would not be denied as they kicked three goals in a row before a string of behinds saw them cling on to win 10.12 (72) to 11.5 (71). Curtis Perrey, Jarrod Kellock and Lachie McGregor all kicked two goals for the reigning premiers while Josh Graham kicked three majors for Encounter Bay. Tom Derham, James Sellar, Kellock, Perrey, Troy Blackwell and Jake Dominish were best for the Hawks while for Encounter Bay, Tyson Neale, Wade Sweetman, Daniel Toole, Tyler Baldock and Fraser Tonkin were named in their best players.Willunga has knocked McLaren out of the 2020 season with a 44-point win in the first semi-final at Yankalilla on Sunday. McLaren only lost one game in the minor round but sadly went out of the finals in ‘straight sets’. Willunga started well to lead by 14 points at quarter time and extended their lead to a handy 22 points by halftime. The third term was an entertaining and high scoring one with 12 goals being kicked as the Demons pulled away further to lead by 36 points heading into the final stanza. A further three goals to one in the last term saw Willunga win convincingly 18.11 (119) to 10.15 (75). Sam Renney was a star up forward for Willunga as he slotted seven goals. Daniel Lee and Myles Warmington also kicked three goals for the Demons. Jordon Mutton had an excellent game to be named best for McLaren as he kicked four goals. Best players for the triumphant Willunga outfit included Sam Tregenza, Renney, Jake Standfield, Brad Haskett and Cameron Hutchens. Apart from Mutton, other good players for McLaren were Kiefver Zohar, Jake Rowe, Max Wakefield and Stuart Green.Preliminary Final fixtures (26/9/20 @ Victor Harbor)‘A’ Grade: Encounter Bay v Willunga (2.30pm)‘B’ Grade: Willunga v Langhorne Creek (12.45pm)Senior Colts: Langhorne Creek v Willunga (11.15am)Junior Colts: Strathalbyn v Willunga (9.50am)

Flagstaff Hill won the premiership in the Southern Football League Women’s (SFLW) competition following a 21-point win against Reynella at Aldinga Oval yesterday. Flagstaff Hill dominated play in the first term but couldn’t convert as they kicked seven behinds to no score. The second quarter was a real arm wrestle with the Falcons kicking a solitary behind to lead by eight points at halftime. Despite not scoring in the first half, the Wine Flies were still in the game but Flagstaff Hill put the game to bed in the ‘premiership quarter’ as they kicked three goals to none to turn for home with an unassailable 28-point lead. Reynella finally hit the scoreboard in the last quarter to kick 1.1 to no score but Flagstaff Hill eventually won 3.10 (28) to 1.1 (7). Soriah Moon was named best on ground for Flagstaff Hill and she was ably supported by Tamsyn Morriss, Hannah Griffin, Carli Morton, Shay’Lee Dayman and Chloe Meyers. For Reynella, Georgia Pennifold, Anja Bancevic, Natasha Gordon, Zannah Loxton and Brina Thompson battled hard.In other grades, Happy Valley won the under 17’s by defeating Christies Beach by 65 points and Christies Beach won the under 14’s with a 61-point win over Reynella.

Ironbank-Cherry Gardens won their second premiership in three years in the Hills Football League (HFL) Country Division following a come-from-behind 39-point win over Birdwood at Kersbrook Oval on Saturday. The Thunderers had gone through the season undefeated but things looked a bit grim at halftime as Birdwood held a 20 point lead and had all the momentum heading into the second half after kicking six goals to four in the second term. The Roosters had been a real surprise packet of the 2020 season and it appeared they were on the verge of a huge upset. The third quarter proved crucial in the outcome of the match as Ironbank-Cherry Gardens piled on the pressure to kick 4.6 to no score and take a 10-point lead into the final term. Birdwood were still in the game but the Thunderers were on a roll and couldn’t be contained as they piled on five goals to one in the final term to win 14.18 (102) to 9.9 (63). Lachlan Keeley played his best game of the season to be best on ground for the Thunderers and he was well supported by Josh Rosman, Todd Pfeiffer, Jeremy Johncock and Levi Grigg. Jack Ince, Jed Russell, Scott Sullivan, Steven Peter and Christian Elliott were best for the Roosters. Ironbank-Cherry Gardens had many avenues to goal with Josh Vandermeer and Grigg kicking three goals each. Vandermeer completed an excellent first season in the HFL with 51 goals from just 10 games. Elliott kicked three goals for the Roosters giving him 34 for the season. In other grades, Bridgewater-Callington won their third ‘B’ grade premiership in four years with a 35-point win over Birdwood, Meadows junior colts won back-to-back flags after defeating Ironbank-Cherry Gardens by 16 points while Birdwood won the mini colts grand final by 11 points against Mount Barker.So the 2020 season has been completed under what can only be described as unusual and difficult conditions. To manage eight games plus finals was as much as anyone could’ve asked for and great credit should be given to all clubs and their tireless volunteers for making it happen.

Ironbank-Cherry Gardens are through to their third grand final in four years in the Hills Football League (HFL) Country Division following a dominant 93-point preliminary final demolition of reigning premier Gumeracha at Macclesfield Oval on Saturday. After finishing on top of the ladder, Ironbank-Cherry Gardens enjoyed the week off while Gumeracha lost their semi-final to Birdwood to set up this clash between the previous two years’ premiership clubs. Ironbank-Cherry Gardens held a slender six point lead at quarter time after kicking 2.7 (19) to 2.1 (13). The second quarter was all Thunderers as they kicked 6.6 to 1.0 to take a commanding 42-point lead into halftime. Gumeracha’s premiership defence was all but over and the Thunderers weren’t about to let up as they slammed on 11 goals to three in the second half to win 19.19 (133) to 6.4 (40). Josh Vandermeer (6), Jeremy Johncock (4), Todd Pfeiffer (2) and Elijah Ware (2) were the multiple goalkickers for Ironbank-Cherry Gardens. Vandermeer and Johncock have kicked an impressive 87 goals between them in just nine games this season. Joel van Paridon, Will Van Den Berg, Matthew Raitt, Henry Moss and Vandermeer were named best for the Thunderers. Charlie Graeber, Brendon Moon, Danny Leith, Daniel Wood and Braden Hutt were best for Gumeracha.Birdwood have won their way through to their first grand final since 2011 with a 12.11 (83) to 10.13 (73) victory over Kangarilla at Birdwood Oval in the second preliminary final on Sunday. Both these sides missed out on finals action in 2019 so they’ve shown massive improvement in this truncated 2020 season. It was a very scrappy first term with no goals scored and Kangarilla leading 0.6 to 0.1 at the first change. Birdwood came out firing in the second quarter to kick seven goals to two to take a 26-point lead into halftime. A further four goals to two in the ‘premiership quarter’ took Birdwood's lead out to 40 points at the last change. Kangarilla would not lie down and kicked six goals to one in the final term to cut the margin back to 10 points at the final siren. Christian Elliott kicked three goals for the Roosters while Matthew Collie also kicked three majors for Kangarilla. Jed Russell, Riley Gooden, Fraser Gehrich, Scott Sullivan and Jake Maczkowiack were best for Birdwood. For Kangarilla, Michael Ross, Josh Albanese, Adrian Albanese, Aydan Bartlett and Brendan Hillier were their best players.Grand Final fixtures (Saturday 19/9/20 @ Kersbrook Oval)A Grade: Ironbank-Cherry Gardens v Birdwood (2.30pm)B Grade: Birdwood v Bridgewater-Callington (12.30pm)Junior Colts: Meadows v Ironbank-Cherry Gardens (10.55am)Mini Colts: Birdwood v Mount Barker  (9.30am)

Reynella will play Flagstaff Hill in the Southern Football League Women’s (SFLW) grand final after hanging on to defeat minor premier Christies Beach by five points in the preliminary final at Flagstaff Hill on Sunday. Christies went through the minor round undefeated but sadly lost both their finals. Reynella started well kicking the only two goals of the first quarter to take a 12-point lead at the first break. Another goal to the Wine Flies in the second term saw them lead 3.2 (20) to 0.3 (3) at halftime, a margin of 17 points. Christies Beach were not going to lie down as they came out firing to reduce the margin to just six points at the last change. It could’ve been an even closer margin but the Saints kicked inaccurately, scoring 1.5. One goal each in the final term saw Reynella hold on to win 4.3 (27) to 2.10 (22). Emily Woods kicked three goals for Reynella while Hannah Crump kicked two majors for Christies Beach. Brina Thompson, Ella Besley, Olivia Gallio, Woods, Natasha Gordon and Georgia Pennifold were named in the best players for the Wine Flies.Tayler Poland, Crump, Angelique Dean, Melanie Koster, Natasha Gordon and Kelly Armstrong were best for Christies Beach. SFLW Grand Final FixturesUnder 14’s: Christies Beach v Reynella (7.30pm Saturday @ Happy Valley)Under 17’s: Happy Valley v Christies Beach (10.00am Sunday @ Aldinga)‘A’ Grade: Flagstaff Hill v Reynella (1.50pm Sunday @ Aldinga)

It was a case of ‘third time lucky’ for Pulse Netball Club on Saturday as they won the Southern Hills Netball Association (SHNA) A1 grand final by defeating a plucky Kangarilla 32-21. Pulse had lost the previous two grand finals to Clarendon but they would not be denied in 2020 as they completed an undefeated season (10 games including finals). Kudos to Kangarilla as they improved dramatically this season after not winning a game in 2019.In the A2 competition, minor premier Seaford Storm completed a fine season by defeating a gallant Clarendon outfit 34-29 to take out the 2020 premiership. Storm only lost one game for the season and were favourites to win but Clarendon pushed them all the way.Grand Final ResultsA1 Pulse 32 defeated Kangarilla 21A2 Seaford Storm 34 defeated Clarendon 29B1 Southern Stars 32 defeated Noarlunga 30B2 Kangarilla 23 defeated Southern Stars 16B3 Southern Stars 25 defeated Seaford Storm (b) 22C1 Port Noarlunga 41 defeated Noarlunga 20C2 Noarlunga 29 defeated Croweaters 20Inters 1 Clarendon (a) 53 defeated Clarendon (b) 23Inters 2 Clarendon 23 defeated Meadows 13Inters 3 Clarendon (a) 42 defeated Port Noarlunga 2013 & Under Div 1 Aldinga 25 defeated Southern Stars 7 13 & Under Div 2 Port Noarlunga (a) 18 defeated Aldinga 1313 & Under Div 3 Clarendon 24 defeated Kangarilla 2011 & Under Div 1 Southern Stars 23  defeated Aldinga 1411 & Under Div 2 Clarendon 15 defeated Aldinga 7

Encounter Bay are just one win away from a Grand Final berth in the Great Southern Football League (GSFL) after defeating McLaren by 42 points in the Qualifying Final at Encounter Bay on Saturday. The Bays set up their win with a six goal to one first term which saw them lead by 32 points at the first break. McLaren fought their way back into the contest during the second and third quarters to reduce the margin to a manageable 15 points at three quarter time and it was game on. Encounter Bay steadied and eventually dominated the final term to kick 5.1 to 0.4 as the Bays booked their spot in the second semi-final against Langhorne Creek, winning 13.4 (82) to 5.10 (40). Daniel Toole (3), Kyle Hayter (2) and Gary Karpany (2) were the multiple goalkickers for Encounter Bay while Stuart Green kicked two majors for McLaren. Hamish Tonkin, Wade Sweetman, Hayter, Reece Kleining and Braedon Renshaw were named in the best players for the victors while Thomas Fenoughty, Green, Brendan Gill, Joel Vandeleur and Kiefver Zohar were best for the Eagles.Willunga’s season is still alive after a nail-biting seven point win against Mount Compass in yesterday’s Elimination Final at Mount Compass. Willunga led by two points at quarter time and had extended their lead out to eight points by halftime. Mount Compass hit back in the third term to kick three goals to two and the margin was just a solitary point in favour of Willunga as the teams readied themselves for what would be the last quarter for one team in 2020. Mount Compass had the home ground and crowd in its favour but Willunga steadied to kick two goals to one in the final term to win 11.10 (76) to 9.15 (69). Sam Renney and Brad Haskett kicked three goals each for the Demons while Nick Mott and Ziggy Vitkunas each kicked two majors for the Bulldogs. Cameron Hutchens, Sean Beath, James Collier, Sam Tregenza and Haskett were best for Willunga. Sam Haniford, Adam Hunter and Aidan Brencens were named among Mount Compass’ best players. Semi-Final fixtures (2.30pm)Langhorne Creek v Encounter Bay (2nd semi-final @ Willunga, Saturday 19 September)McLaren v Willunga (1st semi-final @ Yankalilla, Sunday 20 September)

Reigning premier Flagstaff Hill are through to their fifth consecutive Grand Final in the Southern Football League (SFL) following a comprehensive 71-point win over Christies Beach at Noarlunga on Saturday. The game was as good as over at quarter time as Flagstaff Hill kicked 6.5 (41) to 0.1 (1) to lead by 40 points at the first break. Christies Beach won the second quarter kicking two goals to one for the term but they still trailed by 36 points at the long break. The Falcons put the game beyond doubt with a dominant third term which saw them kick six goals to two and turn for home with an unassailable 68-point lead. The last quarter was even with three goals apiece as the Falcons won 16.21 (117) to 7.4 (46). Ryan Mountford, Daniel Butcher and Samuel Smith all kicked three majors for the Falcons while James Pratt kicked four goals for the Saints. David Kearsley, in his 250th game, was best on ground for Flagstaff Hill and he was ably supported by Sam Tharaldsen, Chris Puiatti, Angus Fisher and Ben Rossi. Michael Mazey, Andrew Bachmann and Clayton Mesecke were among the best players for Christies Beach.Noarlunga won their way through to the Preliminary Final after grinding out a 31-point victory over Morphett Vale in the first semi-final at Port Noarlunga yesterday. The Shoes led by three points at quarter time, 15 points at halftime and 26 points at three quarter time before winning 7.15 (57) to 3.8 (26). Noarlunga had all individual goalkickers while Liam Corrie kicked two goals for the Emus. Sammual Miller, Jarrad Liebelt, Nathan Schulz, Sam Carlyle and Ben Goldfinch were best for the Shoes while Scott Carpenter, Jaxon Williams senior and Braydan Hartwig were among Morphett Vale’s best players. Noarlunga will now travel to Christies Beach on Saturday to take on the Saints for the right to play Flagstaff Hill in the Grand Final on Saturday 19 September at Flinders University Stadium.Preliminary Final fixture (2.10pm)Christies Beach v Noarlunga (Saturday @ Christies Beach)