After claiming just three wickets in his first season with Brothers, former Queensland Country star Arden Lankowski claimed 4-24 in an upset 43-run victory over Minor Premiers Waves at Salter Oval on Saturday night.
Arden, whose bowling has been restricted by a knee injury most of the season, ignored the pain to be named Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership Player of the Grand Final
But it was 16-year-old Oliver Boge, playing together with his father and former Bundaberg Cricket Association seven times Tallon Medalist for Division 1 Player of the Season, David, who laid the platform with a superb 69, top scoring in a total of 8-207 from their 45 overs.
Arden had opened and scored 20, while No. 3 and captain Mitchell Parsons tried to anchor the innings but fell one-run short of a deserved half-century.
Lachlan Heycox came in late and hit an invaluable 18 from 14 balls, and No. 9 Jeremy Haaksma struck a mighty six and a four in the last over to push the total past the 200-mark and finish unbeaten on 13 from four balls.
Paceman Matt Pozzebon was the best of Waves’ bowlers with 4-45.
But they were soon in trouble with the bat, slumping to 4-43 after Jeremy took the new ball and bowled the competition’s leading scorer this season with 708, Luke Owen, for a golden duck, and also snared the next wicket in Michael Loader, while fellow opener Lachlan chipped in with the scalps of Adam Pozzebon and Kori Pope.
No. 4 Ryan Norton and 6, Kori’s elder brother Hayden, swung the pendulum with an 84-run partnership, but after they departed in quick succession for 53 and 44 respectively, falling to Arden and Mitchell, that was the start of another collapse of 6-37.
Arden snared three more, including the final wicket of Callum Neubecker, fittingly caught by Mitchell Parsons to seal the victory, while Dean Krebs removed the defiant Mitchell Waters.
Victory was sweet for Brothers after being wooden spooners last season, while for perennial grand finalists Waves, they have now won just three of the past nine deciders, during which time Brothers also beat them in 2015 and 2020, and Norths were victorious in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
It was a bad day all-around for Waves who also contested the Division 2 and 3 grand finals both as minor premiers, but were upstaged in both by East Bundy Magpies in the former with past Waves’ player Will Barritt the Player of the Final, and YMCA in the latter with River Felstead the Player of the Final.
Softball
Three times defending champions Brothers United Firesticks will contest the Coral Coast Softball A Grade Ladies Grand Final at Brothers Sports Complex at 3 pm today after outgunning Western Suburbs Panthers 15-4 in the Preliminary Final last Saturday.
But they will be up against run-away minor premiers Waves Tsunamis, who have lost just one game all season and will be white-hot favourites.
At the same time, Waves Schooners will feature in the A Grade Men’s Final after downing Brothers United heat 10-9 in a Preliminary Final thriller.
They will slug it out with minor premiers Terrors in what is expected to be a titanic duel.
There are nine grand finals all up, starting with Under-12 and B3 Ladies at 8.30 am, with action continuing through to the A Grade showpieces.
Rugby league
A Grand final rematch between Past Brothers and reigning champions Hervey Bay Seagulls will raise the curtain on the 2023 Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade season at Salter Oval at 3 pm today, but there are many changes to both sides.
Easts Magpies and wooden spooners of the past two seasons, Wallaroos will then meet at 4.45 pm, before a Battle of the Big Cats with 2022 Minor Premiers Waves Tigers and Wests Panthers set for a pulsating duel at 6.30 pm.
South Kolan will host the opening round of the Northern Districts RL at Shark Park on Sunday, with Miriam Vale Magpies to start their Men’s title defence against Avondale Tigers at 1.15 pm, before Isis Devils make their long-awaited return to the league against the Sharks at 2.45 pm.
In the Women’s League Tag, two-times defending champions Gin Gin Hawkettes will suit up against Avondale Tigerettes at 11.15 am, before Agnes Water Marlins meet the Devils at 12.15 pm.
Netball
Local teams stood tall at the Bundaberg Netball Association’s annual Carnival at the Super Park on the weekend, winning two divisions, with two others finishing runners-up and all other sides also played well.
Bundaberg took out the 18 and 13 years titles, and claimed second in 14 and 11 years, while Bundaberg High School also triumphed in the Senior Boys' category, ahead of Shalom College.
A total of 66 teams from Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Cap Coast, Curtis Coast, Gympie & District, Nambour, Mackay Monarchs and Monto battled it out over the two days.
Congratulations also to all other winners, Rockhampton (16, 15, 14 and 12A years), Curtis Coast (12 years B), and Hervey Bay (11 years).
Football
Reigning champions Across The Waves had to dig deep to stave off hosts Bingera 2-1 in their Football Queensland Premier League Wide Bay Men’s showdown on Saturday, while United Park Eagles (UPE) also made it two victories from two away games, edging out Sunbury Blues 3-2 in Maryborough.
But the UPE’s Premier League Women were held to a 1-1 draw by Tinana.
UPE’s Men will play their first match of the season in Bundaberg today when they suit up against Doon Villa at Martens Oval at 5 pm, while Waves host KSS Jets at the same time.
Bingera’s Men are away to Fraser Flames at 6 pm, when SC Corinthians also do battle with Sunbury in the Heritage City.
In the Women’s Premier League, the Flames host Bingera at 8.30 pm Friday night, while today, there are two matches at Martens Oval with Waves aiming to take down the Jets at 4 pm, and UPE and Doon Villa to square off at 7 pm.
Hockey
Dale Veivers was a hat-trick hero as All Blacks bounced back from their first-up loss to defeat Raiders/Rovers 4-2 in their Bundaberg Division 1 Men’s duel at Hinkler Park on Saturday, while Sam Aitkenhead was also a match winner with a double as Waves Cities accounted for Arrows/Athletics 3-1.
Arrows however shot down Cities 6-1 in Division 1 Women, with six individual scorers, while Raiders/Rovers shut out All Blacks 3-0.
Bundaberg teams return to the Premier League this weekend, and in Men’s matches at Hinkler Park today, All Blacks meet Magpies at 4.40 pm, and Cities take on Hervey Bay Brothers at 7.20 pm.
In the Women’s, Cities cross swords with Uniroos at 3.20 pm, and All Blacks will try to pluck Magpies at 6 pm.
Here are all the scores from the weekend:
GRAND FINALS:
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 1 PREMIERSHIP
Brothers 8/207(cc) (Oliver Boge 69, Mitchell Parsons 49, Arden Lankowski 20, Matt Pozzebon 8—1-45-4, Mitchell Waters 9-1-23-1, Hayden Pope 5-0-25-1, Rhys Grills 7-1-26-1, Callum Neubecker 7-0-47-1) def Waves 164 (Ryan Norton 53, Hayden Pope 44, Arden Lankowski 7.4-1-24-4, Lachlan Heycox 5-0-21-2, Jeremy Haaksma 8-0-48-2, Mitchell Parsons 3-0-7-1, Dean Krebs 8-1-29-1). Player of Final: Arden Lankowski.
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 2 PREMIERSHIP
East Bundy Magpies 5/166 (Troy Cross 40, Will Barritt 37, Roderick Jensen 28, Logan Woodward 28*, Jack Munro 2/21) def Waves 8/163(cc) (Sean Stuchbery 37, Dan Unwin 34, Josh Wormington 30, Will Barritt 3/47, Graham Werner 2/25). Player of Final: Will Barritt.
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 3 PREMIERSHIP
YMCA 5/106 (River Felstead 45, Lex Webster 30, Chris Medwin 2/16, Drew McAullay 2/28) def Waves 104 (Tom Chadwick 3/20, Brett Woodward 2/15, Joel Faint 2/17). Player of Final: River Felstead.
SOFTBALL CORAL COAST
PRELIMINARY FINALS:
A GRADE LADIES
BROTHERS UNITED FIRESTICKS 15 d WESTERN SUBURBS PANTHERS 4.
B GRADE LADIES
B1: BARGARA BANDITS 12 d WAVES TIDAL WAVES 8.
B2: WESTERN SUBURBS PUMAS 13 d MISFITS 7.
B3: TERRORS YELLOW 14 d WESTERN SUBURBS COUGARS 13.
A GRADE MEN
WAVES SCHOONERS 10 d BROTHERS UNITED HEAT 9.
B GRADE MEN
WAVES CUTTERS 16 d BROTHERS UNITED FLAME 12.
UNDER-16
TERRORS 12 d BROTHERS UNITED TNT 1.
UNDER-14
TERRORS 11 d BARGARA BANDICOOTS 1.
UNDER-12
BROTHERS UNITED SPARKS 12 d WESTERN SUBURBS JAGUARS 2.
FOOTBALL QUEENSLAND PREMIER LEAGUE
WIDE BAY MEN
UPE 3 (J Adcock, M Sobczak, F Bath) d SUNBURY BLUES 2.
SC CORINTHIANS 2 (B Brown, J Lunnon) drew KSS JETS 2.
FRASER FLAMES 4 d DOON VILLA 1.
ATW 2 (P Cox, C Hillier) d BINGERA 1 (G O’Donnell) .
WIDE BAY WOMEN
TINANA 1 (A Ivey) drew UPE 1 (E Ryan)
UNDER-23 MEN
SUNBURY BLUES 0 drew UPE 0
KSS JETS 2 d SC CORINTHIANS 1 (R Thurston).
UNDER-16
UPE 7 (Z Peters 2, C Amey, C Lowe, B Iacuzzi, G McKillop, D Woodford) d UNITED WARRIORS 0.
UNDER-13
BARGARA FC JUST FREIGHT 4 (X Holzberger 3, J Ellwanger) d BAYSIDE TORNADOS 1
COMMUNITY COMPETITIONS
WIDE BAY NORTH DIV 1 WOMEN
SC CORINTHIANS 4 (S Hall 2, L Emerton, B Harrington) d BARGARA 0
WIDE BAY NORTH DIV 2 MEN
BARGARA 3 (J Peach, I Ilic) d SC CORINTHIANS 1 (H Slater).
ATW 11 (J D’Addario 5, T Howes 2, Z Groves 2, J Roebuck, B Walsh) d GIN GIN 2 (J Slater, Z Hazzard).
WIDE BAY NORTH U16 DIV 1
BINGERA CUTTERS 9 d ATW 0
BINGERA FIRE 5 (C Manski, D Sommer, J Toft, K Meech, T Jordan-Richards) d DIGGERS 0.
WIDE BAY NORTH U13 DIV 1A
SC CORINTHIANS GLADIATORS 4 (A Rawson, J Dash, M Mandic, R Rogers) d ATW RANGERS 3 H Shield 2).
BINGERA 5 (T Lankowski 4, B Donnison) d GIN GIN 3 (E Bramble-Bashford 2, J Golding).
HOCKEY BUNDABERG
U11s
Arrows Athletics 1 (Daniella Hodge 1) drew with Waves Cities 1 (Lillian Pashley 1)
Raiders Rovers 10 (Flynn Bock 1, Will Baldry 2, Beau Kendall 3, Levi Kendall 4) defeated All Blacks 2 (Eamon D’Albret 2)
U13s
Arrows Athletics 3 (Hamish Cook 1, Brock Green 2) defeated Waves Cities 0
Raiders Rovers 14 (Ameilia Law 2, Pippa Elliott 2, Molly Crow 2, Silvana Powell 3, Courtney Kendall 5) defeated All Blacks 0
U16s
Waves Cities 2 (Connor Castelli 1, Thomas Rach 1) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Tully Dorgan 1)
All Blacks 3 (Kalen Wilke 1, Timothy Wales 1, Jai McDonald 1) defeated Raiders Rovers 1 (Silvana Powell 1)
Div 2 Women
Waves Cities 4 (Angela Asnicar 2, Karen Maguire 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Kirsty McCullough 1)
Raiders Rovers 7 (Chantal Baldry 1, Hailey Kendall 2, Silvana Powell 3) defeated All Blacks 0
Div 2 Men
Raiders Rovers 5 (Brett Powell 1, Matthew Darr 2, Alastair Mullett 2) defeated All Blacks 0
Div 1 Women
Arrows Athletics 6 (Michelle Wilson 1, Eboney Braysher 1, Malanie Stehbens 1, Anna Vicenzotti 1, Bridget Stehbens 1, Ally Dunn 1) defeated Waves Cities 2 (Kristine Flanders 2)
Raiders Rovers 3 (Susan Kendall 1, Amanda Wightman 1, Hailey Kendall 1) defeated All Blacks 0
Division 1 Men
Waves Cities 3 (Jerry Burtt 1, Sam Aitkenhead 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Jack Beveridge 1)
All Blacks 4 (Brendan Wenban 1, Dale Veivers 3) defeated Raiders Rovers 2 (Colby Zahn 1, Riley Howard 1)
