BALLARAT Cricket Association’s shot at promotion to Melbourne Country Week’s provincial division rests on today’s result against Leongatha.
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The Courier will provide regular updates on the day’s action in Werribee.
Here’s the Ballarat team for the final – Adam Eddy, Carman Mapatuna, Heath Pyke, Heath Pritchard, Ryan Knowles, Simon Ogilvie, Nathan Yates, Steven Nicholson, Cole Roscholler, Saman Jayantha, Harry Killoran, Richard Moore.
3.25pm: Champions! Ballarat has claimed the division two title and secured promotion back to the provincial grade with a six-wicket win over Leongatha.
Heath Pyke (35 not out) and Simon Ogilvie (13 not out) carried the team over the line in the 31st over.
Ballarat finished on 4-138 in reply to Leongatha’s 9-136.
3.20pm: Jayantha is trapped leg before for 28 as Ballarat slips to 4-118.
3pm: Ballarat is closing in on victory, with Heath Pyke (18 not out) and Saman Jayantha (23 not out) taking the score to 3-103 after 24 overs.
2.40pm: Moore is bowled for 42, leaving Ballarat 3-71 off 16 overs.
2.30pm: Rick Moore has moved to 37 not out and helped put Ballarat in a strong position after 13 overs. The team is now 2-65. Heath Pyke is nine not out.
2.10pm: Nathan Yates is gone for six. Ballarat now 2-34 from six overs.
1.50pm: Ballarat has lost an early wicket, with Cole Roscholler gone for 13. The team is 1-13 in pursuit of 137. Nathan Yates and Rick Moore at the crease.
1.10pm: Leongatha has finished on 9-136 at the end of its 50 overs. Nicholson claimed 3-25 and Eddy 2-18. Ballarat needs 137 to win and claim the division two title.
12.48pm: the wickets keep tumbling. Steve Nicholson claims his second scalp and Leongatha is 7-112 off 45 overs. He has 2-12 off seven overs.
Surely this is Ballarat's day.
12.44pm: Steve Nicholson strikes. Leongatha has further slumped to 6-102 after 43 overs. Nicholson has 1-12 off six overs.
12.40pm: Leongatha has crawled to 5-95 after 40 overs. Ryan Knowles picked up the fifth wicket of the innings to further strengthen Ballarat's position. He has 1-11 off four overs. Adam Eddy has 2-18 off his 10, Heath Pritchard 1-20 off his 10 and Nathan Yates 1-18 off six overs
Noon: 30 overs down – 20 to go for Leongatha.The Gippslanders have steadied the ship a little to be 4-67, but it is still slow going.
11.40am: Nathan Yates now gets in on the act, claiming a wicket to have Leongatha in deep trouble at 4-43 from 21 overs
11.20am: Heath Pritchard has claimed his first wicket and the third Leongatha scalp. Ballarat is in a strong position after 17 overs, with its rivals now 3-35.
11.10am: Eddy has struck again as Leongatha falls to 2-27 from 14 overs. Eddy claimed opener Mitchell Clark – the man who carried his bat for an unbeaten 63 in the clash with Ballarat on Thursday – for seven. Eddy now has figures of 2-10.
10.45am: Ballarat has won the toss and sent Leongatha in to bat. The Leongatha boys are 1-16 from seven overs. Adam Eddy has the wicket.