For the first time since 2011, a team other than Kealba Green-Gully and Pascoe Vale Central will contest the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association’s Luscombe Shield grand final.
Fourth-ranked Gladstone Park swooped at the weekend to break up the monopoly that saw those two powerhouse clubs contest the past three seasons’ deciders.
Central, minor premiers and flag favourites, won’t be at the big dance this time around, after losing to Gladstone Park by five wickets in a semi-final shock at the Oak Park Swim Centre.
The Kookaburras applied early pressure to restrict Central to 163.
Most of the damage was done by opening bowler Gayath Pandikorala, who finished with the mind-blowing figures of 40-19-53-7.
Pandikorala could well be the x-factor for the Burra in the three-day decider against Kealba-Green Gully starting on Saturday, after taking 35 wickets at 14.8 this summer.
Jaydan Moore (1-61) and Andrew Shanahan (1-36) were the other Burra wicket takers, while Ashan DeSilva and wicketkeeper Andrew Gavaghan combined for a run out and captain Matthew Nyhus took three catches.
Gladstone Park started day two nervously with the bat and lost quick wickets to be in a spot of bother at 3-26.
Then came the middle-order fightback inspired by Steven Milne (58no) and Nyhus (34), who put on 56 for the fourth wicket to wrest back the momentum.
Milne then partnered Shanahan (23) in a 70-run fifth-wicket stand before bringing home the unlikely victory alongside Brent Taylor (16no).
Meanwhile, Jacana is through to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association north B1 grand final after poleaxing Flemington by 164 runs in the semi-final at Jacana Reserve.
The Lions bowled Flemington out for a mediocre 60 after four wickets apiece to Wayne Cooper and Jack Ottaway.
The home side had no trouble picking off the runs, an unbeaten 101 by Adam Robertson taking them to 7-224.
Robertson couldn’t buy a run earlier in the summer and two games ago found himself in the second XI, where he regained his touch with 141 against Pascoe Vale Sports Club.
The Lions will meet minor premiers East Coburg in the grand final that most punters predicted.
Lance Jenkinson
