Veteran Petrie Guides Armadale to Finals Berth as Galbraith Narrowly Misses Fourth Ton

Armadale will have the opportunity to defend their 2016-17 SMCA 1^st grade premiership as they secured fourth position with a six wicket victory over Cockburn at Gwynne Park on Saturday.

In other matches, CBC’s Andrew Galbraith fell five runs short of a fourth century for the 2017-18 summer against SJ Blues at Karoonda Oval, but it didn’t stop his team from securing the minor premiership in a comfortable victory.

Leeming Spartan secured a home semi-final after comfortably accounting for Bicton-Attadale at Fremantle Park, while Phoenix finished a difficult year on a bright note by defeating East Fremantle by six wickets.

Armadale went in to week two of their match against Cockburn needing 184 runs to make a certainty of their spot in the four, Mark Rice getting the innings off to a typically fast start before he went for 17.

Damian Carroll (38) built a stand with Jordan Armstrong before he fell to rival skipper Chris Scenini to leave the game evenly poised at 2-69.

The Cavaliers bowlers were unable to take regular wickets and put pressure on the Demons batsmen, Armstrong making 39 before Jake Forsyth partnered Jeff Petrie almost all the way to victory, Forsyth making 25 before becoming Scenini’s second victim.

Petrie would play the match winning hand, finishing unbeaten on 54 as the home side closed on 4/207, William Hunt at the other end on 25.

The win shored up fourth spot for the Demons, who may be sensing some déjà vu after their feats of last season; they won the 1^st grade title from the same ladder position in 2016-17.

Andrew Galbraith’s summer of runs continued at Karoonda Oval against SJ Blues, the opener striking 95 as his side won comfortably to lock in top spot.

CBC compiled 4/243 as they batted all day, comfortably passing their rivals total of 149. Matt Baseden finished unbeaten on 51, while David Bandy struck 38 and Callum Langley finished 23 not out to complement Galbraith’s knock, adjudged run out five runs short of three figures.

Leeming ended Bicton-Attadale’s finals hopes by comfortably defeating them on their own patch at Fremantle Park thanks to a team batting performance.

Opener Jonathon Page top scored with 45 as he saw his team past the 111 run target on week two, veteran Craig Pereira contributing 41 and Todd Gill 24 as the Spartans made 8/191 to see out the day, the win coupled with Cockburn’s loss to Armadale giving them a home semi-final next weekend.

Kieran Murphy claimed 3-46 for Bicton-Attadale, 2 wickets each for Jarrad Holt and Tory Richardson as the Swans’ season came to a close with the defeat.

Phoenix won the battle between 7^th and 8^th at Tempest Park against East Fremantle, but it sadly wasn’t enough to stop the club from securing it’s second wooden spoon in as many seasons.

Opener Michael Reid carried his bat to make an unbeaten 71, sharing in an unbroken 60 run stand with his skipper Craig Stewart to take Phoenix to victory having been 6-78 chasing 137 for victory.

Michael Carmody and John Brown each took two wickets for East Fremantle, the teams shaking hands when the winning runs were scored.

Phoenix finished in eighth spot, just two points behind East Fremantle in seventh with SJ Blues sixth and Bicton-Attadale 10 points outside of the four in fifth.

CBC finished on top of the table, followed by Leeming, Cockburn and Armadale.

The semi-final match ups have been locked in for next weekend, with the games to be played Saturday-Sunday. CBC will host Armadale at Karoonda Oval, while Leeming faces Cockburn at John Connell Reserve.

Riverton-Rostrata snatched fourth spot on the table with a dramatic outright victory over Kwinana, fellow finals aspirants Kelmscott and Kardinya Lakes stumbling at the last hurdle.

With the Rats having posted 8/187 (declared) on the first week Kwinana resumed at 2/40, the visitors unable to threaten Riverton’s total thanks to the brilliance of Matt Koenig, who snared 6-21 to help bowl out their opponents for 125.

Knowing they needed other results to go their way and as many points as possible to secure a spot in the four the Rats chased quick runs in their second innings, racing to 5/108 in 17 overs before declaring and setting Kwinana 170 runs to win.

They would only make 104 as Koenig dismantled Kwinana a second time, taking 5-41 to take an astounding 11 wickets in the day. Richard Marshall and Andrew Taya each took two wickets in a memorable Riverton-Rostrata victory.

Willetton thrashed Kelmscott by 156 runs at Centenary Park to end the visitors’ finals hopes, the Crows avoiding the wooden spoon in the process.

Chasing an improbable 274 for victory Kelmscott slumped to 2-0, the game as good as over from that point onwards.

The visitors never threatened the large total as the Willetton bowlers kept the pressure on, Kelmscott all out an hour after tea for 127. Ben Hills took 3-19, while Luke Fisher, Tom Bray and Mark Holford all claimed two wickets.

Kardinya headed in to the second day of their match against Maddington in the box seat for a top four finish, needing a further 110 runs to beat the Bulls with all ten wickets still in hand.

Sadly it was not to be for the home team, who lost all ten wickets for 106 runs as they were dismissed for 148 to lose a thriller by just four runs.

Peter Anderson claimed 3-30 including the key scalp of Mark Blinco (74), leg spinner Jayden Rafferty taking 3-17 and Alec Lacey (junior) taking 2-71 as the Bulls finished the home and away season in second spot.

Hilton Palmyra will be fresh but short of recent cricket, coming off a bye as they host a semi-final against an in form Riverton-Rostrata at Melville Reserve, a remarkable 58 points separating the teams between first and fourth on the table.

Maddington play Kwinana in the other semi-final at Harmony Fields, with the SMCA home and away season now complete.

All semi-finals will be played next weekend, with first to seventh grade semi-finals to be played on the 17^th and 18^th March (Saturday-Sunday) while One Day grade semi-finals will be played on Saturday 17^th March.