The three weeks of the Goulburn Murray Cricket Twenty20 season have come and gone, and finals match-ups are now locked in.

Bamawm-Lockington United will feature in the final four after claiming victory over Leitchville-Gunbower in round three action.

The Lions travelled to Gunbower Recreation Reserve for the contest and always looked comfortable in the eventual 58-run win.

BLU was sent in by the host and, as usual, captain Regis Chakabva set about leading the Lions from the front.

The skipper and Kyle Humphreys added 39 as a pair before Luke Cleave made the opening breakthrough for L-G, removing Humphreys for a run-a-ball 18.

The new man in, Milton Shumba, was also looking dangerous as he and Chakabva added a further 28, bringing the total to 2-67 when Chakabva departed for 30 from 20 deliveries.

Shumba went on to top-score for the innings with 33 runs, while matching middle order contributions of 13 from 13 by Luke Thompson and Liam Hamilton kept the run rate ticking over as BLU posted 5-136.

Hamilton remained not out alongside Lucas Holgate (7 not out) to conclude the innings.

Cleave was the only L-G bowler to strike more than once, taking 2-21. James Keath, Simon Tatt and Blake Gibson also grabbed wickets.

The Leitchville-Gunbower run chase struggled to build the momentum required to run down the total.

Openers Tyler Jones and Billy Hawken made a promising start in the opening four overs, accumulating 25 over the first fifth of the innings.

A devastating fifth over from Jeremy Felmingham began the host’s decline, beginning with the dismissal of Hawken.

Replacement Liam Keath lasted just two balls and Cleave was gone the next delivery, giving Felmingham three wickets in four balls and putting the BLU strike man on a hat-trick.

Tatt successfully negotiated the hat-trick ball and looked to rebuild from 3-25 alongside Jones.

After ticking along for a few overs, Jones strayed too far from his crease off the bowling of Shumba, with Chakabva whipping off the bails in short order.

Tatt proved the linchpin of the innings, making a stabilising 24 from 39 deliveries, but few of his teammates were able to go with him.

Aside from Hawken’s 16 at the top, Will Purcell (11) was the only other L-G batsman to reach double figures as the host’s innings petered to an all-out 78.

Felmingham’s (3-16) devastating over couldn’t secure him best figures, with his efforts bettered by Thomas Dicker’s 3-3.

Shumba added two wickets, while Thompson and Holgate also got their names in the wickets column.

BLU is one of three sides to win both of its fixtures in the T20 competition, earning it second place.

The Lions look ahead to a face-off with Echuca at Bamawm Recreation Reserve on Thursday, with a place in the grand final up for grabs.

The other semi-final sees table-topper Kyabram Fire Brigade take on the best of the 1-1 teams, Nondies-Cohuna.

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Wednesday, 4th December 2024

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