Four more Premier Cricket teams in Australia booked their place in Sunday’s final of Fox Cricket National Premier Twenty20.
The Dandenong Panthers and Carlton Blues developed from Victoria, East Torrens won in South Australia, while the Tuggeranong Valley moved from the ACT.
This means that a total of seven teams for the T20 showcase on March 5 and 6 in the Karen Rolton Oval area in Adelaide. The clubs that represent Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania are still standing.
In Melbourne, the action between Carlton and St Kilda was spread, and the fans of both venues were met with great success by a few high-profile players.
Evan Gulbis, representative of Melbourne Stars, scored seven fours and six sixs in the semifinals of the competition in Princes Park on the way to an 89-hit list for Carlton. That was a seventies from Tom Smyth, who advanced the blues with a light victory over Geelong in the final of the Renegades conference.
On the other side of the Junction Oval, Dandenong prevailed. The Panthers knocked off Prahran in the morning before defeating St. Kilda in a thrilling climax to the final of the Stars Conference.
The Panthers recorded 9-140 out of their 20 overs and St Kilda seemed to be on the way to victory with Melbourne stars youngster Jon Merlo on the way to victory.
But Merlo fell to an excellent prisoner and struck the Englishman Karl Carver, who caused a collapse of the wickets when Dandenong held on to victory.
Carlton and Dandenong compete against each other on Sunday in the Super Slam final at the MCG, where the KFC-BBL clash between the Melbourne Stars and the Brisbane Heat is a precursor.
In Australia, Australian striker Jake Lehman played in Adelaide when East Torrens defeated Port Adelaide on Karen Rolton Oval.
Lehmann crashed out of 84 balls 13 and 1 six during his 42-ball club when East Torrens successfully sealed Port Adelaide 5-93.
Austin Umpherston crunched at Port Adelaides Innings with a brilliant 111, which consisted of eight sixs, but he was undermined by a brilliant fielding by Lehmann and ran late in the innings.
At Phillip Oval in Canberra it was the Tuggeranong Valley that prevailed in the final with a 14-time victory over Ginninderra.
Former Queensland and Brisbane Heat player Jason Floros contributed in the decision at 3-16, while his younger brother Timmy stole the show on an exciting day in the nation’s capital.
Timmy Floros scored a brilliant century in the semifinals to help Tuggeranong Valley beat ANU. He prevailed in the final with 40 and 1: 19 of four Overs to keep his team in a gripping finale.
The four successful clubs of the weekend are now joined by Steve Sutherland and Sydney University from Sydney and the City Cyclones from the NT Strike League as the clubs rose to the national finals in March. The remaining three places will be decided until 3 February. when the last state final – in Western Australia – is played.
