Norths will go into the Rum City Foods Intra Cup cricket semi-finals as the form side after their South Queensland Country paceman Nathan Van Eekeren spearheaded them to a last-round victory over Brothers at Salter Oval on Saturday.
Nathan claimed 3-11 in an inspired spell of bowling in his return from injury and a holiday in his hometown Adelaide.
After wins over the other two Bundaberg sides in the competition the previous two weeks, Waves and East Bundy Magpies, and Hervey Bay before that, Norths struck a psychological blow in their semi-final dress rehearsal with the reigning premiers.
They managed a modest total of 169, but then sendt their rivals packing for just 105 after reducing them to 2-0 after three balls, soon to be 3-4.
Fifteen-year-old all-rounder Jackson Rehbein, who plays for his club Isis in Under-16 and Division 3 but for Brothers in higher grades, and who was backing up after scoring 38 in juniors in the morning, was however Man of the Match.
He ripped the heart out of the Norths innings, claiming 5-22 from his six overs in just his second Intra Cup game.
While Norths have now won four in a row, minor premiers Waves suffered their second straight defeat, this time at the hands of East Bundy Magpies, whose recent batting problems continued, but they were able to snatch a morale boosting one-wicket victory in what was also a semi-final prelude, passing their target of 137 for the loss of nine wickets.
Norths’ innings fell away after three of their first four batsman passed 30, with No. 4 Chris Napper continuing his good form with a game-high 42 and also claiming two wickets, but the Brethren never recovered from their horror start, with Shannon Smith continuing the carnage, also with three scalps.
Waves elected to bat in their match which was reduced to a 40-overs per side affair due to rain, and they were bowled out in 36.5 overs despite a signature 49 from 18-year-old No. 3 Brendan Grills.
Magpies opener Martin Green started their slide by removing both openers in his 2-15 from eight overs, but they too did it tough with the bat, slumping to 3-14, before captain Dale Steele (34) and Matt Gauld (27) steadied the ship, only for another collapse to have them on shaky ground at 8-118, then 9-130, before Ben Davey struck two successive fours to get them him.
It was however a red-letter weekend for Waves, as they completed the minor premiership clean-sweep of the three senior grades, with their Division 2 team downing the Magpies to take that title, and their Division 3 outfit remaining on top after their clash with East was cancelled due to the state of the pitch.
SOFTBALL
United Firesticks secured the Hervey Bay Softball A Grade Ladies minor premiership with a last-round 7-0 victory over fourth and last placed Bargara Bullets at Brothers Sports Club on Saturday.
Meanwhile, with second place on the line, fellow Bundaberg side Waves Tsunamis swamped Terrors 17-2 to book the other major semi-final berth.
In A Grade Men’s, United also finished on top of the table despite a 6-3 defeat at the hands of Misfits on Saturday, after Misfits had beaten Waves Schooners 9-0 in the first game of their double header.
In other matches, Terrors wrapped up second place with a 10-2 demolition of cellar dwellers Bargara Bombers, and Maryborough hung on to fourth place and the last spot in the semi-finals despite going down 6-1 to Schooners who finished their season on a high.
The Bargara Club claimed the B Grade Ladies-Men’s minor premiership double, and in the B Ladies division, their two teams Leopards and Bandits took first and second, respectively.
Waves Drifters took No. 1 position in Under-16, while Hervey Bay club Terrors picked up the minor silverware double in Under-14 and 12.
AFL
The new-look Brothers Bulldogs’ hopes of very competitive season in the AFL Wide Bay Takalvan’s Women’s Premiership were set back in their first game of 2021, suffering a 7.17 (59)-0 white-wash at the hands of cross-town rivals Across The Waves Eagles.
The Eagles, who had beaten premiers Hervey Bay Bombers in the season opener a week earlier, were ruthless despite their inaccuracy in front of goal, laying the platform with a two-goal first quarter and never relenting, finishing with seven individual goal-kickers in a galaxy of stars, only one of whom snared a major against the Bombers, Sarah Pizzey, who was again among their best.
Here are all the scores:
AFL WIDE BAY
Takalvans Women’s Premiership Round 2:
Across The Waves Eagles 2.2, 3.11, 4.14, 7.17 (59) d Brothers Bulldogs 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 (0).
ACROSS THE WAVES – Goal Kickers: Kelly Blair, Kasey Stone, Hayley Gash, Sarah Pizzey, Taylor Jardine, Olivia Schneider, Kayla Osborn. Best Players: Marie Smith, Taylor Jardine, Kayla Osborn, Olivia Wightman, Sarah Pizzey, Kasey Stone
BROTHERS BULLDOGS – Best Players: Jude Bust, Stephanie Shearer, Gabrielle Galea, Sally Campbell, Narda Girvan
CRICKET BUNDABERG
RUM CITY FOODS INTRA CUP
Last round:
NORTHS 169 (Chris Napper 42, Julian Bond 32, Blyton Prendergast 31, Jackson Rehbein 6-1-22-5, Dean Krebs 6.3-1-27-2) d BROTHERS 105 (Jarrod Laycock 28, Nathan Van Eekeren 9-3-11-3, Shannon Smith 9-2-25-3, Chris Napper 6-1-21-2).
EAST BUNDY MAGPIES 9-138 (Dale Steele 34, Matt Gauld 27, Callum Neubecker 8-2-35-3) d WAVES 136 (Brendan Grills 49, Chris Duff 31, Dale Steele 1-0-3-2, Martin Green 8-2-15-2, Arden Lankowski 7.5-2-26-2, Hayden Pope 8-2-38-2).
Points: Waves 66, Brothers 45, Norths 39, East Bundy Magpies 33, Hervey Bay 3.
DIVISION 2
Last round: WAVES 6-163 (Jason De Papi 51, Jack Munro 26, Ashley Pollitt 3-24, Lachlan Donovan 2-39) d EAST BUNDY MAGPIES 8-137 (Troy Cross 34, Ashley Pollitt 26no, Rhys Grills 2-16, Vince Differ 2-29, Kynan Hard 2-36).
NORTHS 4-89 (John Van Lierop 40, Shaun Pinney 29, Jackson Rehbein 2-23) d BROTHERS 86 (Harley Denton 3-8, Shaun Pinney 3-17, Richie Sharman 2-15, Chris Napper 2-15).
Points: Waves 56, East Bundy Magpies 50, Norths 38, Brothers 32.
DIVISION 3
Last round: YMCA 4-132 (Hayden Sarnadsky 53no, Ashley Helmore 2-34) d BROTHERS 128 (Ashley Helmore 25, Richmond Felstead 3-17, Brett Woodward 2-6, Lex Webster 2-11, Logan Woodward 2-20).
EAST BUNDY MAGPIES v WAVES – game abandoned due to state of pitch.
Points: Waves 50, East Bundy Magpies 46, Isis 32, YMCA 26, Brothers 20.
UNDER-16
BROTHERS PUMAS 3-184 (Oliver Boge 57ret, Patrick Marshman 50ret) d HERVEY BAY BRUMBIES 84 (Oliver Mathiesen 2-6).
YMCA 3-139 (River Felsteade64no) d NORTHS MARYBOROUGH 85 (Zac Richters 28, Logan Woodward 4-8, River Felstead 3-21).
ISIS EASTS 6-130 (Jackson Rehbein 38, Z Zerafa 33no, T Geldard 2-23) d HERVEY BAY COLTS 8-74 (B Loveridge 35no, Tyler de Martin 3-18, Mason Sim 2-3).
UNDER-14
ISIS EASTS 6-127 (Ryan Santacaterina 31no, Amity Webster 2-3) d HERVEY BAY COLTS 8-115 (B Kington 34no, Jett Sim 3-1, Sam Morton 3-22).
WAVES 4-123 (Sam Stuchbery 39no, Levi Faint 32no, Lenny Henry 30no, N Gillieatt 3-7) d MARYBOROUGH 76 (Lenny Henry 3-3, Noah Hensel 2-4).
BROTHERS MUSTANGS 7-148 (Riley Quinn 50, Henry Hirst 30, Ethan Hamel 2-12, Bailey Bennett 2-34) d NORTHS MUNTZ MARAUDERS 5-98 (Oliver Wendt 33no, Sean Millett 2-4).
JUNIOR CRICKET 2
NORTHS BUNDY POWER 199 (Cameron Manski 59, Ferdy Jenner 42no, Marcus Crawford 3-37, Alex Stuchbery 2-14, Bailey Bowman 2-14) d WAVES 5-197 (Nicholas Delacy 52no, Alex Stuchbery 31, Marcus Crawford 31, Lachlan McDonald 2-27).
ISIS/EASTS 6-160 (Charlie Steele 64no, Archie Webster 25no) d BROTHERS EVERESTS 74 (Ashton Lamond 32no, Fisher Hill 2-6, Lawson Baker 2-10).
NORTHS MAROONS 5-166 (Heinrich Kirchner 30no, Tom Elphinstone 2-10) d NORTHS TAIPANS 6-104 (Travis Kapernick 2-7, Zahde Kitching 2-8).
SOFTBALL HERVEY BAY
A GRADE LADIES
WAVES TSUNAMIS 17 d TERRORS 2; UNITED FIRESTICKS 7 d BARGARA BULLETS 0.
Points: United Firesticks 37, Waves Tsunamis 34, Terrors 31, Bargara Bullets 26.
A GRADE MEN
TERRORS 10 d BARGARA BOMBERS 2; MISFITS 9 d WAVES SCHOONERS 0; MISFITS 6 d UNITED HEAT 3; WAVES SCHOONERS 6 d MARYBOROUGH 1.
Points: United Heat 39, Terrors 37, Misfits 36, Maryborough 34, Waves Schooners 33, Bargara Bombers 25.
B GRADE LADIES
BARGARA BANDITS 11 d UNITED CROSSFIRE 7; WAVES BREAKERS 16 d TERRORS 6; WEST PANTHERS 12 d BARGARA LEOPARDS 8; BARGARA BANDITS 16 d WAVES SEASHELLS 5.
Points: Bargara Leopards 42, Bargara Bandits 40, United Crossfire 34, Misfits 33, Waves Seashells 32, West Panthers 28, Waves Breakers 28, Terrors 18.
B GRADE MEN
MISFITS 19 d WAVES CRUISERS 4; MARYBOROUGH 13 d WAVES CUTTERS 3; BARGARA BULLS 4 drew TERRORS 4.
Points: Bargara Bulls 38, Terrors 35, United Flame 34, Maryborough 30, Misfits 28, Waves Cutters 26, Waves Cruisers 22, West Lynx 4.
UNDER-16
TERRORS 7 d WAVES DRIFTERS 5; WAVES WAVERIDERS 8 d BARGARA BRONCS 2.
Points: Waves Drifters 37, Terrors 36, United TNT 33, Bargara Broncs 29, Waves Waveriders 24.
UNDER-14
UNITED BLAZE 19 d BARGARA BANDICOOTS 4; WAVES RIPTIDES 14 d WAVES TORPEDOES 8; TERRORS 11 d WEST TIGERS 0.
Points: Terrors 45, Waves Riptides 41, United Blaze 33, Waves Torpedoes 27, West Tigers 24, Bargara Bandicoots 21.
UNDER-12
UNITED SPARKS 14 d WEST JAGUARS 2; TERRORS 10 d WAVES MARINERS 2.
Points: Terrors 42, Waves Mariners 36, United Sparks 26, Bargara Bears 22, West Jaguars 22.
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