Sport
13 March, 2026
Five teams will roll finals dice on Saturday
With one round remaining in the MDCA’s A reserve season, five teams remain in contention for the finals, but five doesn’t go into four, with several teams in danger of their season flaming out in dramatic fashion this Saturday.
Avoca 9/135 def by Maryborough 136
In one of the greatest matches during this captivating A reserve season, Maryborough has knocked the Bulldogs off their ladder-leading kennel with a thrilling one-run victory.
The memorable result was bittersweet for the Owls, as other results knocked Maryborough out of finals contention, ending a snake-bitten season on an unforgettable note.
After their team was 2/11 thanks to the efforts of Glen Cosgriff and Cameron Holland, Ben Robertson and Lachlan Bursill brought stability to Maryborough’s innings with 35 and 25 respectively.
A late cameo from the in-form Anthony Sequeira, worth 34 runs, gave the visitors a respectable total, but four wickets from Holland led a strong Avoca bowling performance that restricted the Owls to 136.
Despite three early wickets from Paul Jardine, Bulldogs star James Collicoat looked to drag his team to a finals berth, quickly building a fine innings.
With Avoca closing in on its target, an unlikely hero gave Maryborough the edge. With his second wicket of the season being the big fish of Collicoat for 30, Sam Thomson was the catalyst for the last four Avoca wickets, which included the key run-out of William Levick.
Kevin Russell and Keenan McLinden were fingertips away from completing a Bulldogs great escape, but the Owls held on at the death to record their finest win of the season.
Clunes 4/98 def Carisbrook 9/94
With Avoca’s defeat, the reigning premier Magpies have swooped to top spot on the A reserve ladder with a commanding six-wicket victory against Carisbrook.
Despite Clunes' vaunted attack restricting scoring chances, a 46-run stand authored by David Coomber and Brandyn Eagle looked to provide a solid foundation for Carisbrook to build upon.
That was until Lucas Fudge got the ball in his hand, possessing a sweet tooth for wickets in an excellent spell which finished with figures of 3/14.
Another three-wicket haul from Brad Stevenson and two for Adam Clark kept the visitors under triple digits despite them batting out their allotted 40 overs.
Fresh off making a century in Clunes’ landmark victory over Avoca, Clark once again shone with the bat, getting the Magpies on the precipice of their target with a solid 35.
Carisbrook young gun Billy Rumpff provided some excitement with two wickets, but that didn’t stop Clunes sealing the match in the 23rd over, thanks to Brendan Ingram and Fred Penhall.
Colts Phelans 3/91 def Beaufort Blue 88
Colts Phelans has moved itself back inside the top four at a near-perfect time, now needing just one more win to clinch another finals berth after defeating Beaufort Blue by seven wickets.
Ethan Chaplin and Grant Rogers threatened to drop the curtains at Hedges Oval almost immediately, with their opening spells causing Beaufort Blue to languish at 5/18.
A superb 49 from Brady Edwards, complemented by a handy 16 from Malcolm Woolley, brought the visitors to a defendable total as they were bowled out for 88.
Aaron Balzan’s awe-inspiring season with the ball continued last Saturday, claiming the last five Beaufort Blue wickets to end with season-best figures of 5/13 from just 3.5 overs.
Boosted by another blistering start from opener Nick Peart, the Colts wasted no time gaining on their opponents.
In just his second game after the holiday break, Daniel McGregor made his presence felt on his much-anticipated return with an unbeaten 28, scoring the winning runs alongside Rogers to conclude the 17th over.
Rory Wilkinson was the pick of the bowlers for Beaufort Blue, taking 2/21.
Beaufort Red def Laanecoorie Dunolly via forfeit
Laanecoorie Dunolly’s season ended on a sour note, as they were forced to concede their game to Beaufort Red.
After playing without a full squad in dominant defeats to MKM and Colts Phelans over the previous fortnight, player unavailability got to the point where Laanecoorie Dunolly were unable to field a side on Saturday.
It's the second time this season that Beaufort Red’s finals push has been assisted by a fortuitous forfeit, also gaining six points at the expense of fellow contender MKM in round eight.
Round 10
Originally slated for the beginning of the new year, round 10 will now culminate a gripping finals race that’s captivated from start to finish.
Four of the five contenders will play each other on the rescheduled final day of the regular season, guaranteeing seismic ripple effects right at the death.
Thanks to their recent victory over Carisbrook, and boasting a far superior quotient than Beaufort Red and Colts Phelans, who play each other on Saturday, Clunes are almost guaranteed a finals spot.
They host the contender currently outside the top four in MKM, who need a victory to have any chance of punching their finals ticket.
If they do vanquish the Magpies, the Mill would not only supply massive pressure on Beaufort Red, Colts and Avoca, but could jump to as high as first thanks to their league-best quotient.
Even with an MKM eliminating defeat, Beaufort Red’s clash with Colts Phelans will play a massive factor in finals seeding.
With last season’s runners-up three points behind Beaufort Red, a victory for Colts Phelans would allow them to leapfrog Saturday’s opponents and secure their finals place regardless of other results.
On paper, Avoca has the easiest avenue to finals qualification as they host an already eliminated Carisbrook. However, they are the team that has been the most vulnerable as of late, losing three on the trot.
Rounding out round 10 is Maryborough taking on Beaufort Blue, with both teams hoping to end their season on a high note.