Rain decimated Bundaberg’s big weekend of sport, with the Bulls Masters posting 6-142 in their Cricket T20 clash with Bundaberg at Salter Oval on Saturday night before the match was abandoned due to the persistent downpours and extremely wet conditions.
The North Coast Foods Western Suburbs Rugby League Nines at Jubilee Park was the only major sporting event that was completed but hosts Wests lost the Shield Final to Hervey Bay Seagulls for the second year in a row, with their Red team going down 14-4.
Brisbane emerging invitational player Michael Phillipson top-scored for the Bulls with 36, while Cameron Boyce reached 33 before retiring hurt with a calf injury, and Bundaberg Young Gun Ned Jenner also did well with 13.
After the rain set in in the seventh over, conditions continued to deteriorate and bowlers were restricted to spin as they struggled to grip the wet ball and the pitch became increasingly slippery, and six bowlers claimed one wicket each.
In the curtain-raiser, the Bundaberg Masters chased down the Under-16 Young Guns’ challenging total of 5-167 with five wickets in hand with opener David Boge leading from the front with 52 after his son Oliver had recorded the same score for the Young Guns, for whom opener Kori Pope scored a game-high 54.
Another father and son Anthony and Angus Rehbein also claimed two wickets for their respective sides.
In the Rugby League Nines, all five teams played each other in a round-robin, before Wallaroos defeated Wests Black in the Knock-out game, then Roos progressed to the Plate Final play-off for third place but went down to Easts Magpies.
In the Shield decider, the Seagulls picked up the $3,000 winners’ cheque after scores had been locked together at 4-all until one of Hervey Bay’s rising stars Dylan Bennett scored in the corner on the stroke of half-time.
Wests tried hard to come back in the second nine-minute stanza, but the Seagulls defended stoutly before representative star Jerry Pati, who was later rewarded with the Player of the Carnival award, put Max Shorter over for a try to seal the result in the dying minute.
Victory was a confidence booster for Hervey Bay, who started last season well and also finished strongly after a mid-year slump, before ultimately going down to ultimate premiers Past Brothers 34-14 in the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership preliminary final after leading 14-4 and looking the winners at half-time.
Meanwhile, the Bundaberg Golf Club Men’s and Ladies Burnett Cup and Consolation Plates Finals were postponed to this Saturday due to the water-logged greens.
The Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball Major and Minor semi-finals in all divisions in Hervey Bay were also washed out, with all the minor premiers advancing directly to the grand final at Brothers Sports Complex on Saturday 12th March, while the second and third placed teams in each will battle it out in the preliminary finals in Hervey Bay this Saturday.
Here are the scores:
CRICKET BUNDABERG
BULLS MASTERS TOUR:
BUNDABERG MASTERS 5-167 (David Boge 52, Damian Black 31, Angus Rehbein 1-0-7-2) d BUNDABERG U16 YOUNG GUNS 5-165 (Kori Pope 54, Oliver Boge 52, Patrick Marshman 27, Anthony Rehbein 1-0-7-2, Lachlan Donovan 2-0-30-2).
BULLS MASTERS 6-142 (Michael Phillipson 36, Cameron Boyce 33 retired hurt, Ben Laughlin 25, Ned Jenner 13, Ryan Norton 1-0-5-1, Sam Pearson 1-0-10-1, Nathan Van Eekeren 3-0-13-1, Ben Davey 3-0-15-1, Chris Duff 4-0-21-1, Mitch Waters 3-0-25-1).
JUNIOR PREMIERSHIPS
Last round of Bundaberg Rum City Foods Junior Premierships fixtures were cancelled due to rain. Final points tables were:
Junior Cricket 3-16’s: Waves 95.09, Brothers Pumas 88.43, YMCA/Norths Marauders 68.35, Maryborough 63.39, Hervey Bay Colts 49.80, Isis 47.75.
Junior Cricket 3-14’s: Waves 100.41, North Bundy Power 70.68, Hervey Bay Colts 64.55, Maryborough 60.05, Norths Choppers 53.02, Isis/Brothers Mustangs 45.37.
Junior Cricket 2: Norths SEI Strikers 97.85, Brothers 77.81, Norths Avengers 70.22, YMCA 68.06, Isis 47.27, Waves 30.23.
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