Takalvans Taipans claimed its second Aussie Bundy Big Bash title in the competition’s five-year history with a four-wicket victory over Betta Heat in the Final at Salter Oval.
The Heat amassed a very competitive 7-148 from their 20 overs, but the Taipans staged a superb run chase to get home with four wickets in hand and an over to spare, led by opener Luke Solano, with 30, and all-rounders Trent Seeds (33) and Chris Duff (31).
Young guns, paceman Beau Marshman and spinner Toby Lamond were the best of Taipans’ bowlers with 2-14 and 2-33 respectively.
While veteran Mitchell Waters claimed the early wicket of Chris Napper for a duck, and Lachlan Heycox also chipped in with one scalp, before later hitting the winning runs.
Taipans were well led by veteran captain Dale Steele.
For the Heat, it was their second straight Final loss after going down to Headland Pies last season, but one of their all-rounder stars, Sam Pearson, received some consolation when he took out the Player of the Final award after scoring a game-high 66 and taking 2-27.
Fellow paceman Matthew Pozzebon also continued his superb form for Heat with 3-25, but they were beaten by a better side on the night.
Heat’s Easts Magpies’ English import Ollie Horne was rewarded for an outstanding season with both bat and ball when he took out the Player of the Tournament award.
Matthew Pozzebon’s younger brother Adam, of Searles RV Centre Vikings, took out the prize for the Leading Run Scorer in the competition, with Pies’ young paceman Jayden Santacaterina the Leading Wicket-taker.
In the Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership, reigning champions Brothers clung to the lead on the ladder despite suffering a four-wicket outright loss to arch-rivals Waves, who remain in second position.
But Easts Magpies consolidated third place and got to within four points of them with their second straight outright triumph, defeating the win-less Norths by three wickets.
Waves had resumed at 5-106, in pursuit of Brothers’ paltry total of 131, and they went on to be bowled out for 198, led by teenage star Kori Pope with 79.
They then bowled Brothers out a second time for 150, despite a classy 80 from opener Toby Lamond, before he was run out, with spinner Chris Duff weaving his magic with 4-16.
Waves lost six wickets in their chase for the outright, with Toby Lamond completing an outstanding all-round match performance with 3-9, but all honours belonged to Waves.
Easts had already established a first-innings lead against Norths on day one, and Ben Davey, batting at No. 11, hit a quick-fire 31, before he became wicket number six for Queensland Veterans representative spinner Bruce Worthington.
Norths smashed 198 in their second innings after a blazing signature 70 from opener Jaden Bond but Ben Davey and Ollie Horne cut a swathe of destruction through their middle and lower order with four wickets each.
Chasing 145 for maximum points, the Magpies were in trouble at 4-48 after veteran paceman Damian O’Neall cut loose with 5-48, but Dale Steele and Ollie Horne carried them to the brink of victory with 48 and 40 respectively before both departed, and they lost a seventh wicket, before getting home.
Cricket will resume next Saturday after the Christmas-New Year break.
Scores
Aussie Big Bash
Final: TAKALVANS TAIPANS 6-151 (Trent Seeds 33, Chris Duff 31, Luke Solano 30, Matthew Pozzebon 4-0-25-3, Sam Pearson 4-0-27-2) d BETTA HEAT 7-148 (Sam Pearson 66, Ryan Norton 34, Beau Marshman 4-0-14-2, Toby Lamond 4-0-33-2). Player of Match: Sam Pearson
Division 1
WAVES 10-198 (Kori Pope 79, Harry Kuorikoski 10.2-3-33-3, Sam Pearson 12-5-42-3, Lachlan Heycox 17-4-63-2) & 6-85 (Toby Lamond 3-1-9-3, Jeremy Haaksma 5-0-24-2) d BROTHERS 10-131 & 10-150 (Toby Lamond 80, Chris Duff 15-8-16-4, Kynan Hard 10-2-32-2) outright.
EASTS 10-169 (Ben Davey 31, Bruce Worthington 17.2-7-51-6, Shannon Smith 7-2-27-2) & 7-148 (Dale Steele 48, Ollie Horne 40, Damian O’Neall 11-4-48-5, Bruce Worthington 9-3-0-34-2) d NORTHS 10-115 & 10-198 (Julian Bond 70, Josh Winen 35, Ollie Horne 9.5-3-35-4, Ben Davey 14-3-48-4) outright.
Division 2
WAVES 2-192 (Jason DePapi 62no, Nick Laffey 46, Kyle Stallan 45) d BROTHERS 10-188 (David Boge 55, Shannon Heycox 35no, David Linwood 7-0-35-3, Nick Catasti 2.3-0-7-2).
ISIS 1-212 (Ashley Helmore 80no, Scott Willing 66no, Adam McCoombe 40) d EASTS 8-210 (Lachlan Donovan 73no, Roderick Jensen 46, Ryan Santacaterina 7-2-18-5).
Division 3
EASTS WHITE 6-83 (Zayne Donovan 3.3-0-18-3, Sam Murton 6-2-16-2) d ISIS 10-82 (Adam Whiting 7-2-19-4, Brett Woodward 7-2-9-2, Logan Woodward 7-3-10-2).
WAVES 8-205 (Alex Stuchbery 58, Kris Johnson 43ret, Sukha Bains 7-0-38-2, Ajay Mysore 7-0-43-2, Sandeep Singh 7-1-46-2) d EASTS BLACK 10-138 (Sandeep Singh 30, Paul Rehbein 30, Jacak Kleidon 6-2-20-3, Albert Motbey 5-0-31-3).
NORTHS 6-194 (Daniel Hunt 40, David Wendt 32no, Qasim Ali Chaudhry 7-0-32-4) d BROTHERS 7-193 (Steven White 68, Xander White 36, David Wendt 7-1-20-2, John Balaam 5-0-36-2).
Horse racing
Bundaberg trainers Darryl Gardiner and Gary Clem were each successful at Gladstone last Saturday week with Ethelda in the QTIS Benchmark 50 Handicap and Jamesatelli in the Splitters Farm Open Handicap respectively.
Ethelda had won on her home track a week earlier, while Jamesatelli made it three wins and three seconds from seven starts this preparation, with his only failure being in the Country Stampede in Brisbane at his previous outing.
