Openers Curtis McAllister and Riley Jobson laid the platform with 48 and 32 respectively as Sunshine Coast Scorchers completed their debut Bulls Masters Youth Cup carnival unbeaten in their five matches with a nine-run victory over Far North Fusion in the T20 Grand Final at Salter Oval to decide the title.
Both teams had won their four preliminary matches, and despite Curtis and Riley’s heroics, with the former also featuring with one stumping as wicket-keeper, Fusion did well to restrict the Scorchers to 7-131, with four bowlers claiming one wicket each.
In their run chase, Far North’s openers found scoring tough against a well-directed attack, and while Fusion were in trouble at 4-39, they clawed their way into the contest with No. 3 Aiden Firman (31), Will Hanlon (24) and captain Aidan Beach, with some lusty late hitting in an unconquered 28 from 17 balls, but in the end, they fell nine runs short at 7-122.
Coast spin twins Charlie Moore, with 2-14 from four overs, and captain Ben Baker, with 2-23 from three overs, were the main destroyers, but paceman Jared Jackson was also at his frugal best, claiming 1-12 from four overs, as well as figuring in two run outs.
Jared, who was the leading wicket-taker over the five days with 16 scalps at a miserly average of 5.69 and two five-wicket hauls and a best of 5-13, was a very deserved winner of the coveted Player of the Carnival Medal.
Darling Downs Suns’ Chace Oates was the leading run scorer at the carnival with 220 at an average of 44 after blasting 174 of them on day two against Central Queensland Seamers, with Riley Jobson second with 199 at 39.80.
Meanwhile, Kye Martin produced a dynamic double of 4-12 and 31 as Darling Downs Suns defeated Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros in the play-off for third position.
Wide Bay Flames wound up sixth after going down to Central Queensland in their play-off, posting a competitive 8-133, but the Seamers then raced to an eight-wicket victory in just 13.1 overs with openers Sam Young and Luke Sanderson, who had scored an unbeaten century the previous day, both notching rapid-fire half-centuries, with Luke remaining unbeaten on 50 neat.
South East Queensland Stormers held on by two runs against North Queensland Monsoon for their first win of the week to take seventh place with Ty Foley outstanding in a beaten side with 54 from 35 balls.
Here are the scores:
Final:
SUNSHINE COAST SCORCHERS 7-131 (Curtis McAllister 48, Riley Jobson 32, Seth McGinty 4-0-16-1, Aidan Beach 4-0-18-1, Brody Zanetich 3-0-25-1, Myles Howard 4-0-25-1) d FAR NORTH FUSION 7-122 (Aiden Firman 31, Aidan Beach 28no, Will Hanlon 24, Charlie Moore 4-1-14-2, Ben Baker 3-0-23-2, Jared Jackson 4-0-12-1).
Play-offs:
Third: Darling Downs Suns 7/125 (Kye Martin 31, Cormack Wainwright 27, Thisaja Samarawickrama 27, Nic Beardmore 2/18, Kayne Smith 2/32) d Mackay-Whitsunday Nitros 9/123(cc) (Haiden Mellifont 58, Kye Martin 4/12, Mitchell Hay 3/16).
Fifth: Central Qld Seamers 2/137 (Sam Young 56, Luke Sanderson 50, Oliver Boge 1.1-0-9-1, Luke Murray 2-0-17-1) d Wide Bay Flames 8/133(cc) (Curtis Farrell 21, Stewart McArthur 20).
Seventh: South East Qld Stormers 7/116(cc) (Michael Lindsay 39, Riley Possingham 26, Seth Guldbransen 2/5, Zack Adami 2/18) d North Qld Monsoon 8/114(cc) (Ty Foley 54, Ben Walker 29, Ben Naish 2/24).
GREYHOUNDS
Takura trainer David Plummer continued his run of success, taking out the two rich features races at this week’s Bundaberg meeting at Thabeban Park.
Each carrying winner’s purses of $2,450, he was successful in the Bundaberg Maiden 1000 Final with favourite Jericho ($1.85), which had run three seconds and a third from his first four starts, beating rank outsider Neil’s Trick ($71) by 0.1 of a length, and the Christmas Cup Final with Fogelberg, which was also favourite, paying $2.60, and made it five wins from his past six appearances in the Rum City.
Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club president Ricky Hassall took out the Maiden with an improved Papagayo Star.
Two other District trainers were also among the winners on the day, Allen Kelly with Slick Velvet in the Novice Non-Penalty, and Clinton Thompson with Winlock Bluey in the Endeavour Foundation 5th Grade.
