AFTER playing out the B Grade semi final that went down to the wire in the 2023/24 season, North and West met again in the the semi final of the 2024/25 season at Norm Fox Oval.
Going for six straight successful coin toss wins, North captain Joel Sheppard finally lost and West captain Ben McInerney elected to bat first.
North got off to the perfect start as Josh Botten continued his good form bowling Liam Pascoe for a duck in the first over.
Sage Hocking joined Matt Adams with Adams playing in his usual aggressive manner. On 11, Adams copped a very nasty blow, top edging a Botten delivery into his face forcing him to retire hurt.
This brought co-captain Austin Ferguson to the crease and he began to stamp his authority on the contest, finding the boundary on several occasions.
Ferguson was a bit more subdued after drinks as Ben Victory and Dylan Millsteed began to apply the squeeze on both he and Azam.
Sensing an opportunity, Sheppard took the ball with a immediate success. Ferguson on 41 went for another big one, but could only hole out to the safe buckets of Jason Harwood.
Victory kept the momentum going as he had Jawad Azam caught behind by Scott Rogers for 10.
It would be Ben McInerney and Daniel Milne who blunted the spin duo of Sheppard and Anthony Tidball to get West to 4/99 off 20 overs.
The spin continued after the break and McInerney on 13 miscued a big shot on the leg side off Sheppard, as Jason Harwood took an excellent catch.
An excellent performance by the North bowlers as West lost 5/28 at the back end of the innings.
It would be a tricky chase for North, but one they were more than capable of hunting down.
The experienced pairing of Kieran McEvoy and Scott Rogers got North off to a flyer, as Rogers took 13 off Colby Stenhouse’ first over.
The pair continued to blunt the West attack as they ran well between the wickets and found the occasional boundary and got North off to a perfect start going to drinks at 0/46 off 10 overs.
They continued to chip away at the target after drinks, but on 22 McEvoy sliced one to McInerney at point to become Sage Hockings first victim.
Needing 10 from the last over, Azam continued to cause problems as Botten was caught behind for two.
Troy Day found a single off his first ball, nine off four required.
Victory then missed the wide yorker, nine off three.
Victory was then caught and bowled for four as Azam continued to dismantle the chase. North 8/124, nine off two required.
Joel Sheppard not known for his towering sixes had no choice but to have a crack.
Azam bowled a wide to bring the equation to eight off two.
Sheppard could then only drive a single to cover, seven off one required. A six wouldn’t be good enough as West would win on a tie. Day missed the final ball as West celebrated a tight win after a spirited fightback.
West 9/132 (Ferguson 41, Milne 24, Millsteed 2/15, Tidball 2/23, Sheppard 2/32) defeated North 8/126 (Rogers 36, Harwood 24, McEvoy 22, Ju Azam 4/21, Tonkin 2/14)
