Cricket round-up: Anglesea named champions

UNDER the advice of cricket’s various governing bodies the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association (BPCA) has cancelled the upcoming finals and named the top-placed grand finalists champions.

Anglesea therefore become premiers, having gone through the season undefeated.

Jan Juc were to be their grand final opposition, having progressed through their semi-final against Barwon Heads in peculiar circumstances.

The match looked set for close finish, only for rain to finish the game prematurely.

The match was eventually called a draw, with Barwon Heads just 23 runs away from victory but with only two-wickets in hand.

Having finished above Barwon Heads on the ladder, Jan Juc went through to the final by default.

Jan Juc won the toss on Saturday and batted first.

They lost three wickets without scoring early on to find themselves 4/27.

Captain Andrew Murden’s 57 managed to lift Jan Juc’s total to 134.

Barwon Heads’ opening bowlers delivered the majority of the team’s overs, with Sam Schaller claiming 4/50 and Michael Fallon 3/47.

As rain began to fall on Sunday, Barwon Heads found themselves in a race against nature.

Wickets subsequently started to fall as they tried to lift the run rate.

The looked set to fall for under 100 when Simon Seignior joined Campbell Snookes in the centre after the eighth wicket fell.

The pair made 31 together but were denied the chance to score anymore due to the weather.

Like Barwon Heads, Jan Juc were very reliant on the opening bowlers, as Nick Smith and Jordan Graham bowled unchanged throughout Jan Juc’s 39 over innings. Smith finished with 2/45 and Graham 5/65.

The other semi-final between Anglesea and Queenscliff was more one-sided.

Queenscliff were bowled out for 135, with all five of the bowlers Anglesea used taking wickets.

Anglesea captain Ned Cooper’s unbeaten 75 then helped Anglesea claim victory by seven-wickets.

In the GCA Division 1 Leopold finished their season strongly. Tom Smith’s 5/37 saw them bowl St Josephs out for 96 and take a 64-run win.

In Division 2 Torquay could not manage to similarly end on a high, although Tyson Windus’s exceptional 170 got them within 33 runs of Bell Park’s total.

The GCA finals have been postponed to minimise the risk of the coronavirus.