March 16, 2015
The Kumbia Rattlers are the 2014-15 South Burnett B Grade Cricket champions after knocking off minor premiers Wooroolin Warriors in the grand final played in Kingaroy on Saturday.
Warriors, hoping to repeat their Grand Final win from last year – and their victory over Kumbia in the major preliminary final a fortnight ago – batted first after winning the toss.
Opener and veteran batsmen Paul Clegg led the way, top-scoring with 38 runs and holding down his end for 10.5 vital overs.
The rest of the top order fell cheaply until Steve Heness came in at five, harvesting 25 runs off just 30 balls before being caught lbw by Ryan Kelly, the first of the five wickets that Rattlers’ captain Kelly took on the day.
Kelly finished with the amazing figures of 5/6 off 4.5 overs, ripping through the Warriors’ tail-end by taking a wicket every over.
Roger Hoare took 2/25 off his seven overs.
The Warriors were all out for 118 off 35.5 overs.
In reply, Kumbia opener Tavis Hartwig put on 12. His opening partner, Ryan Kelly, couldn’t repeat his success with the ball, being caught for a duck by Paul Clegg off the second ball he faced.
U16s star Chris Medcalf, coming in at No 3, steadied things down and put on the Rattler’s best innings (36 runs).
His partnership with Shane Laherty (23) set the Rattlers on the right track.
Russell Holland then added a very valuable 16 runs as Kumbia neared the Warriors’ total.
As the scores grew closer, the intensity of the Warriors’ fielders ramped up, with appeals for catches, stumpings and lbws coming hard and fast.
Very tight bowling stopped the Kumbia batsmen from quickly finishing the Warriors’ off.
However, in the end, with the scores still locked at 118, a wide finished the game, giving Kumbia a final total of 6/119 in the 35th over.
Extras cost both sides dearly, with Wooroolin bowling 13 wides and Kumbia 17.
Best of the Warriors’ bowlers were Stuart Lavaring (2/5 off five overs, including two maidens) and Matt Nesbitt (2/17 off eight overs, including four maidens).
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