BDCA men’s 1st-grade: Dalyellup knock out Leschenault with nail-biting eight-run preliminary final win

Dalyellup held their nerve in a nail-biting Bunbury & Districts Cricket Association men’s 1st-grade preliminary final finish, progressing to the season decider after an eight-run win over Leschenault at Dalyellup College.

In a low-scoring affair, the Green Caps were left to rue a pair of late run outs in their chase, with Brayden Lee’s (32 from 70 deliveries) attempt to shepherd them home ending when he was caught short attempting a third run and the game ending after a mix-up between Rowan Jamieson and Angus Orchision.

The hosts won the toss and chose to bat but it was the visitors who made a bright start, with import seamer Rob Turner bowling the competition’s leading run-scorer Bradman May for just 3.

Jaymes Thomas (2 from 18 balls), Jaxon Cornford (3 from 8 balls) and Adam Bilston (16 from 33 balls) all then came and went, leaving Dalyellup in a sticky spot at 4-40.

The going was slow but young opener Keagan Lynch (47 from 107 deliveries) and captain Mitchell Boyle (32 from 76 balls) came together to post a 77-run sixth-wicket partnership that ensured Dalyellup’s bowlers would have something of a target to defend.

After the departures of the set batters, Timothy Shales (22 not out from 26 balls) and Shaun Towers (18 from 16 balls) gave the innings some late impetus from the lower order, closing the score out at 8-174.

Nico Le Roux (3-24 from 10 overs) and Turner (3-42 from 10 overs) were the best of the bowlers for the visitors, while Jason Shine gave away only 13 runs in a miserly 10-over effort.

In defence of their total, the hosts made a perfect start with the ball, with seamer Timothy Shales knocking over Green Caps captain Le Roux with the second delivery of the innings.

Justin Woods (30 from 39 balls) and Matt Fink (23 from 31 balls) got the chase going with a 53-run second-wicket partnership, but neither were able to kick on from their promising starts.

Skipper Tyne Dodds (38 from 95 balls) looked to play the anchor role, but was trapped lbw by Brandon O’Rourke to leave the task to Lee, with the game in the balance at 5-127 before Leschenault was all out for 166.

O’Rourke (4-37 from 10 overs) consistently applied pressure for Dalyellup, with good support from Zane Verhaaf (2-29 from 8.4 overs).