Barwon Heads and Anglesea will fight it out for the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade premiership this weekend after winning their semi-finals.
Barwon Heads made 245 all out on Saturday March 16, but probably fell about 30 short of what it looked like scoring at one stage.
Titans’ skipper Daniel Maclean took 5/57 from 22 overs.
The Melzer brothers – Max and Harry – got the Heads off to a terrific start with an 87-run opening stand.
Harry Melzer made 56 from 73 deliveries and Max Melzer would go on to score a brilliant 95 from 201 balls. Daniel Donaldson contributed 36 from 110 in the middle order.
The Titans lost Chris Marsiglio early the following day, but run machine Clay Mulgrew couldn’t be stopped.
The prolific scorer took his season’s run tally to 787 with a delightful 80, but when he fell, caught on the boundary by Taj Don, there was still a lot of work to do.
Donaldson stepped with his leg-spinners and took 4/48 from 23.4 overs with Armstrong Creek all out for 170.
Reigning premiers Anglesea did it the hard way, defending its score of 165 all out on Saturday March 16 and bowling Barrabool out for 145.
Plenty of batters got starts for Anglesea, but nobody reached 50 with Simon Umbers playing an important hand at number seven with an unbeaten 42 while Ben Harcombe made 34.
Brad Greenwood took 4/64 from 26 overs for Barrabool and spinner Ed Morrison was simply outstanding with 4/49 from 30.3 overs.
In reply, the Bulls got close with Aaron Pickering (36) and Andrew Kelson (29) scoring runs but quick Darcy Elliott took 3/29 while Ollie Huby, Ky Eskrigge and Steve Nicholson took two each to send Anglesea into yet another grand final.
Anglesea will play Barwon Heads at 1pm at Bob Pettitt Reserve, Jan Juc, in the final on March 23 and 24 with a reserve day set down for March 30 if needed.
