The Darwin Cricket Club over came Waratah Warriors Cricket Club with relative ease, who collapsed early to be 4 for 22 thanks to Magee aggression at the stumps who first spell of 3 for 15 was more than enough. There was no recovery for Tahs as they lost wickets consistently with Kumara 34 off 78 the main stay while a cameo from spinner Gange with 21 off 16 at number 9 helped get the total passed 100.
Besides the fall of Menzies early doors, the run chase was all but done with Andrews 63 and skipper Troy 35* batting with time and ease to chase 116 in just under 22 overs. Andrews a little unlucky not to be there after being called through for a brisk single. The Eagles easy victors.
Palmerston v Nightcliff was significantly closer game against the reining premiers who lost 4 for 10 in the late overs to be bowled out for 160 in the 38 when it looked 220 total on the cards. Besides a couple of run out chances the batting was generally not troubled before a couple of batting errors had Palmerston back in the game. With the skipper Singh out lbw padding up to the arm ball on the drinks break, Tigers were 4 for 100 and would still consider themselves able to reach that 200 mark. However spinner Snape who has been bowling the house down (3 for 19) and Allan (3 for 32) did the damage through the middle overs. While Osborne was able to bowl stump to stump unchallenged and pick up the last three wickets. Magnusson the best of the bats for Nighcliff with 31, with only one of the top six not making it past 10.
In response Palmerston began comfortably before Allan was caught well at 2nd slip by Foley off Hatton (2 for 26) who’s bowling is coming along nicely. Leading wicket taker Mckinnon was seen off without too much trouble as Hill and McMahon built a composed second wicket partnership weathering the pace attack. 1 for 75 at drinks, the game was there for the taking and runs leaked quickly with 46 coming off the next 7 overs before a huge stumping of Hill 40 from Phillip off Hatton got the Tigers back in the game.
By this stage Foley had entered the attack without luck, finding some alarming lift on the occasion outside off which had found the edge but to no avail. He was able snick off Enniss as Palmo lost 4 for 12 in five overs at 5 for 133. With 8 overs left the Tigers were right back in it. But man of the match Snape 14* and Chatto were able to see it through to score levels before Chatto was dismissed by Foley to be his third wicket, but the match was done with Snape took a sneaky single off the first ball of the last over to seal Palmerston’s first appearance in the B grade one day final.