For all its twists and turns, the Ballarat Cricket Association season has reached a familiar end with Golden Point and Darley to lock horns in the grand final for the third time in as many years.
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Young and old combined for Golden Point, Josh White posting an unbeaten 62 and teenage quick Leo Turnbull-Gent turning the game with a three-wicket haul to send Wendouree crashing out in the semi-finals for a second season in a row.
Across town, Darley opener Dilan Chandima lived up to his big-game billing, hitting an unbeaten century in an eight-wicket win against Napoleons-Sebastopol.
The Lions are now one win away from a third-straight premiership. It defeated the Pointies by five wickets in last season's decider and was awarded the title the year before after the 2020 grand final was abandoned.
Pointies top-order wins battle
Golden Point's resurgence continues; last season's grand finalists now one win away from redemption and celebrating a turnaround for the ages.
The Pointies were stuck in obscurity two months ago, nearly 20 points adrift. Now, they have one foot in the history books.
The Pointies' eight-wicket win against Wendouree was their seventh in a row and eighth in the 11 games played since the holiday break.
For a while, that record looked in doubt.
Opting to bat, Wendouree pillars Cole Roscholler and Sam Miller wasted little time asserting their dominance.
The pair raced to 0-46 off the first 10 overs, though it wasn't without controversy.
Roscholler was granted an early life after a worthy appeal for caught behind was turned down by the umpire. As is cricket's way, the opener smoked the next ball for four.
WATCH: ROSCHOLLER SURVIVES EARLY APPEAL
Roscholler gifted another chance only a few balls later when a lofted drive burst through cover's hands.
The pair combined for their fourth 100-run opening partnership of the season before Miller (38) fatally played against Manny De Zoysa's spin.
Roscholler would join his partner in the sheds a few overs later when a tight call for a single proved the wrong one.
Soon, the game swung.
After opening the over with a four and hitting a six the ball before, Heath Pyke tried to slog Leo Turnbull-Gent onto the train tracks only to turn and see two stumps cartwheeling behind him.
The Pointies' teenager dismissed Tristan Maple in his next over in spectacular fashion. A full-blooded straight drive was met by an instinctively-slung right hand, leading to a procession of blue chase after Turnbull-Gent as he celebrated.
WATCH: TURNBULL-GENT'S CAUGHT-AND-BOWLED
Red Caps skipper Ryan Simmonds was run out two balls later to leave his side in limbo at 6-139.
Playing his first game in three weeks, Lucas Argall offered a saving hand, posting an unbeaten 28 to push Wendouree to 9-203 off its allotment.
Turnbull-Gent finished with figures of 3-21 off six overs in what was only his fourth firsts game.
Big games demand big performances, and the Pointies' top-order stood tall.
Josh Pegg took 16 off the first over to kickstart the chase.
The dominant left-hander would go on to hit nine boundaries on his way to 51 before becoming the first to fall at 1-80.
His opening partner Andrew Falkner continued the assault albeit in more leisured fashion.
The keeper proved stubborn, happy to deal in singles while he waited for his boundary ball.
Falkner (62) would depart in the 40th over with his job done - the Pointies needing three runs an over off the last 10 with eight wickets in hand.
Josh White proved an ample finisher, celebrating a fourth half-century of the summer before hitting the winning runs in the 46th over.
The result sends Golden Point into a grand final against a familiar foe.
Darley was victorious both times the sides met in the regular season.
A Dilan Chandima century was the difference in round two, while a Pointies' batting collapse led to defeat after the break.
Chandima ton keeps threepeat alive
Dilan Chandima enters the Ballarat Cricket Association a man in form.
The all-rounder's third century of the summer guided Darley to a dominant eight-wicket semi-final win against Napoleons-Sebastopol.
Since joining the Lions in the off-season, the opener has been dismissed in single figures only twice.
Three centuries are partnered by four half-centuries - three of which are scores of 92, 89 and 88.
With the ball, he's taken 21 wickets at an average of 15.71, though the spinner wasn't required at the weekend.
Choosing to bowl first, Darley made life difficult for Napoleons-Sebastopol's openers.
Madushanka Ekanaya's pace was ably supported by Ben Longhurst's guile. Longhurst bowled all his 10 overs at the top of the innings, conceding just 12 runs.
Captain Daniel Scott was Naps-Sebas' resistance, grinding his way to 35 before holeing out in the 29th over.
Though solid, Naps-Sebas' middle-order struggled to score against an accurate bowling attack.
Mitch Ward's 10 overs included three maidens and only cost 30 runs, while Hasitha Wickramasinghe offered five overs at an economy rate of 2.8.
Corey Hucker tried to break free, hitting four boundaries in his near-run-a-ball 40 and was able to push his side to 183 with support from Janath Tissera (25*) and Nathan Doonan (23*).
The Lions' chase started with caution.
Mitch Ward was a cheap casualty to Viraj Pushpakumarat (2-25) at 1-57 and was followed by his brother Brodie the very next ball.
From there, it was smooth sailing for the reigning premiers.
Naps-Sebas' spinners struggled as Chadnima and Wickramasinge (56*) accepted singles to the fielders on the boundary.
Loose balls would come too often, bringing the asking rate down.
Come the 45th over, Chandima decided he'd had enought, hitting three consecutive fours to win the game.
Chandima hit 13 fours in total to finish unbeaten on 112 off 129 balls.
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