By Steve Brown and Ian Harley
MONBULK and Rowville will face off in the Knox Tavern Cup Grand final to be held at Seebeck Reserve, Rowville next weekend.
Monbulk could not have asked for a better start to their finals campaign when they destroyed the top order of their Eildon Park opponents in the first semi final clash of the Knox Tavern Cup.
In the second over of the day, Jay Colee dismissed the dangerous Morris brothers in succession while new ball partner Darren Hill was causing havoc at the other end.
The Panthers were on the rack at 6/41 until Nathan Hicks (81) and Aaron Powell (36) added some respectability to the score at tea with 6/127 from 39 overs.
Steve Pimm added a quickfire 36 at the end, which helped push the score to 197 as the inexperienced Hicks, was the only batsman who conquered the bowling.
Hill finished the day with 4/42.
Day two saw Monbulk resume at 2/31 with Jason Fraser at the crease. Steve Pimm was the only bowler to make any inroads to the Hawks lineup taking 3 wickets, however it was Monbulk who booked their Knox Tavern Cup playoff in their first year back finishing the match on 4/198 with Fraser on 93 not out.
In the game at Fairpark, Johnson Park batted first against Rowville and lost opener Cameron Bourke early but were rescued by Mal Francis (63) and Liarne Desilva (65) who was promoted in the order.
Bryn Gaunt batting at number four, compiled a handy 74 and the Sharks held the upper hand with a healthy 296 on the board.
Rowville took control of the second day’s play and once Craig Mitchell and Rick Ramsdale got together, the Sharks attack buckled under the pressure.
The pair added in excess of 200 with Mitchell (73*) and Ramsdale (127*).
Both teams will attempt to win their third premiership.
In the Decoite Shield, Auravale in the first final ran into a brick wall against a dominant Lysterfield who clouted 356.
Tydan Latty hit his straps with a fine 127 and Kyle Snyman continues to impress with 85.
Auravale were dismissed on day two for 117 with Ashan Ranaweera making 74 and Scott Buckingham taking six wickets for the undefeated Beavers, who will progress into next weeks final against South Belgrave.
Footballers batting first at home to South Belgrave were dismissed for 202.
Spinner and captain, Daniel Maxwell bowled well to take 4/28. South Belgrave completed the win with four batsmen contributing to ensure they continue to play a part in the March action.
Semi Finals: Knox Tavern Cup : Monbulk 4/198 (J. Fraser 93*, S. Pimm 3/57) d Eildon Park 197 (N. Hicks 81, Powell 36, Pimm 36, Hill 4/42).
Rowville 4/298 (C. Mitchell 73*, R. Ramsdale 127*, M. Blackman 33) d Johnson Park 296 (Gaunt 74, Francis 63, DeSilva 65, Arnell 4/28, Anderson 3/68).
Decoite Shield: Lysterfield 356 (Snyman 85, Latty 127, D. Hill 33, Hall 4/106, Ranarweera 4/67) d Auravale 117 (Ranarweera 74, Buckingham 6/44).
South Belgrave 6/204 (A. Hart 33, R. Cockerell 39, B. Trinninck 38, A. White 39*) d Footballers 203 (Marriott 58, Tahin 40, Manoj 33, Maxwell 4/28).
Division 3: Lysterfield 8/285 (Wells 154*, S. Seamer 3/46) d Upper Ferntree Gully 226 (M. Perger 31, J. Reynolds 69, C. izza 40, G. Dean 4/23).
Footballers 8/237 (Gale 33, Hepburn 43, Lambrice 74, Anderson 33) d Monbulk 231 (Watson 53, Gray 31, Creed 39, Pascoe 4/96, Pruysers 3/44).
Division 4: Eildon Park 3/185 (Gunaratne 44, Lerm 43*) d The Basin 180 (Newton 35, J. Lee 39, Cutts 5/60, Raleigh 3/12).
St John’s Tecoma 214 (Timmers 51, Grenda 82, Glare 3/60, Mazzanti 3/59) d Ferntree Gully 206 (Simpson 60, Mazzanti 47, McKenna 37, Manning 3/7, Grenda 3/52).
Division 5: Knoxfield 5/381 (M. Cadd 97, S. Faulkner 75, M. Stewart 74*, J. Brown 56, R. Harris 42) d Auravale 89 (Cadd 5/55).
Johnson Park d Rowville (nsa).
Division 6: Eildon Park 209 (C. Morris 33, Garner 33, Martin 34, Mullinder 3/48, Wright 4/42) d Monbulk 150 (Mackenzie 3/46).
The Basin 6/437 (D. Lee 160*, Pitman 160, Perryman 4/68) d Knox Gardens 199 (R. Thomas 39, Lepore 39, Thomas 31, Fay 4/34).
Division 7: Mountain Gate 67 (Young 5/22, Guy 3/10) d Upper Gully 57 (Hunt 7/20, Blair 3/29).
Knoxfield 177 (Laughlin 50, Milligan 52, Degraff 6/39, Miller 3/48) d Johnson Park 140 (Meade 45, Freyer 53, S. Petrovski 5/29).
B1 (One Day Grade): Wandin East 7/202 (B. Owen 50, Hodges 53, Koster 4/22) d Upwey 9/199 (Kennedy 52*, Snell 48, Salter 45, M. Owen 3/43).
Knox Churches 1/48 d Ferntree Gully 44 (C. Eshuis 4/6, K. DeKretser 3/6).
B2 (One Day Grade): Johnson Park v Rowville (nsa).
Eildon Park 8/207 (Potalej 53*, Hahn 54*, Hohendorf 37, Laidlaw 3/19) d Knoxfield 197 (Fredericks 35, Parkinson 33).
B3 (One Day Grade): Knox Gardens 6/279 (S. Wilkinson 51, Hay 50, T. Wilkinson 40, Hoare 37, Roper 31) d St John’s Tecoma 92 (S. Wilkinson 3/17).
Footballers 127 (Stevenson 4/26, Vandoessler 3/18) d Auravale 102 (Wilson 3/27, Goddard 3/37).
Under 17/1 (Healthguard Cup): Knoxfield 1/85 (T. Boxell 50*, Scanlan 32) d The Basin 78 (Laughlin 4/17).
Mulgrave 151 (Le Gros 44, Cull 43, Topp 4/30) d Ferntree Gully 9/131 (J. Chamberlain 31, N. Calvert 30, J. Bradbury 25, K. Rajamanthri 3/14).
Under 17/2: Knoxfield 254 (Herbert 93, Wilson 42, Povah 40, D. Bickers 3/35) d Lysterfield 169 (Peatling 52, Milligan 5/25).
Upper Ferntree Gully7/209 (G. Hart 37*, Ferguson-Smith 42, D. Beyers 33, R. Beyers 31, Adams 3/34) d The Basin/Mountain Gate 7/202 (Dobson 48*, Freeling 47).
Under 15/1: Eildon Park Panthers 0/5 v Bayswater 180 (Brereton 49, Beilharz 39, Remmington 3/25).
Mulgrave 1/158 (Mason 54*, Hunter 52*) d Lysterfield 157 (Walsh 38, McElroy 34, Antonopoulos 3/16)
Under 15/2A: Johnson Park 186 (L. Dyer 77, D. Stanciv 33, J. Kean 3/34 inc hattrick, J. Chirop 3/27) d The Basin 120 (M. Bowman 3/15).
Knox Gardens v Eildon Park Wildcats 7/181 (Scott 53, Undary 42).
Under 15/2B: Upper Ferntree Gully 9/141 (Gifford 32, Roleff 26, Neil 3/16) d Lysterfield 43 (Brown 3/5, Hart 3/4).
Mulgrave 6/176 (D. Whitfield 63*, R. D’Souza 23, Garner 3/19) d Rowville 9/175 (Bussey 80*, G. Malaga 4/38, D. Mutumani, 2/6, R. D’Souza 2/22).
Under 13/1: Eildon Park Panthers 2/246 (J. Dietzel 44*, M. Howard 40*, S. Griffin 44*) d Mulgrave 4/169 (A. Bond 2/17)
Knox Gardens 2/174 (Black 48*, Wilde 46*, McInnerny 40*, Tailby 1/10) d Upwey 9/170 (Chambers 41, McInerney 3/21).
Under 13/2A: Johnson Park 6/257 (J. Furneaux 30*, M. Lei 30*, Lange31*) d Upper Ferntree Gully 169 (J. Nelson 32*, J. Furneaux 3/15).
Mt Gate V Knoxfield (nsa).
Under 13/2B: Upper Ferntree Gully 6/219 (D. Claughton 30*, T. Roleff 32*, Dunstone 31*, Grazyk 3/20) v Eildon Park Pumas.
Eildon Park Cougars v Belgrave 124 (J. Robson 27, T. Argoon 24, McDonald 3/26).
