The finalists have been found for the South Otago Premier Cricket T20 competition.
The Owaka Bandits beat the Clutha Comets by 92 runs in Owaka to seal one spot.
The Waihola Swans beat the Kaitangata Kings in the other semifinal.
The Bandits’ win was largely thanks to a fantastic unbeaten century by opening batter Gordon Edwards.
Owaka posted 184 for two from their 20 overs.
Edwards and Jeremy Gray rode their luck at the beginning of the innings and managed to put on 91 runs before Gray was caught behind off the bowling of Michael White for 38.
Edwards was joined by Jethro Melville and the two accelerated the scoring.
Edwards brought up his half-century and then his ton only 24 balls later as he turned into a boundary-hitting machine.
Edwards carried his bat through the innings and was unbeaten on 104 at the end, in a knock that consisted of 11 fours and three sixes.
It was Edwards’ fourth century for Owaka, but first in the T20 format.
Clutha started extremely positively with opener Macleod Glaister smashing 44 runs off only 18 deliveries.
Owaka took the pace off the ball and were rewarded with regular wickets as Clutha’s middle and lower order could not continue Glaister’s heroics.
Gray, Francis Parker, and Hayden Sheppard all took three wickets each as Clutha failed to break triple figures for the first time this season.
The Waihola Swans came away from Kaitangata with a 13-run victory.
Waihola scored 148 for three.
The early loss of in-form opener Rowan Craw was negated fairly quickly as fellow opener Marc Kohey and first drop Dylan Bungard formed a partnership worth 112 runs.
Kai’s bowlers pinned the two back early in the piece before both batters opened their shoulders and struck some powerful shots to release the shackles.
Bungard brought up his half-century before being dismissed for 68 runs with three over remaining.
Kohey soon followed for 44 after playing a perfect supporting role.
Shannon Young made the most of his short time at the crease with an unbeaten 22.
Jason Young was the best of the Kai bowlers with one for 16.
In reply, the Kings fell short of the total thanks to some extremely miserly bowling by a couple of the Swans experienced campaigners.
Kellan Crowie once again bowled well through the middle stages taking three important wickets.
Jared Cunningham took two huge scalps at the start of the innings and finished with fantastic figures of two for just seven runs from his four overs.
Jason Young’s 23 was the top score for Kai.
Connor Smith tried to narrow the gap at the death with an unbeaten 19 but he could not quite get the home side over the line.
The T20 final will be played in front of what will be a packed house at the Balclutha Showgrounds next weekend as the South Otago community come together for Max’s Big Bash for Cash, a fundraising effort for 13-year-old Max Lindsay, who is battling osteosarcoma of the tibia.
By Francis Parker
