IT’s been all Twenty20 action in the Hastings Cricket Competition just prior to and after the Christmas-New Year break with all three Port City Leagues Magpies sides recording three wins from their four matches so far.
In the May Kelly Cup, the Magpies defeated Wauchope by six wickets (B.J. Schneider 35 and C. McElroy/C. Cole 2/9) and Comboyne by seven wickets (C. Cole 40 not out and K. Pascoe 3/15) before going down to the Pirates by four wickets (C. Cole 35 and 4/26) and finally disposing of Macquarie by 17 runs (T. Harris 28 not out and S. Dickson 4/13) giving them the opportunity of still qualifying for the final on Australia Day with one match to play.
In the Brett Border Competition, the second grade ‘Pies lost their first match against Macquarie by 28 runs (J. Steinmetz/K. Crane 32 and S. Connelly 2/14) before winning their next three games against Comboyne by two wickets (K. Fens 37 not out and N. James 2/9), a 41-run victory over Camden Haven (J. Steinmetz 25 and S. Connelly 2/13) and an 11-run win over Beechwood (W. Preston 47 and D. Lewis 3/7).
The third grade team had a narrow two-run loss against Comboyne (R. Mooney 51 not out and L. Morrison 2/24) before beating Beechwood by four wickets (W. Popplewell/M. Mooney 25 and J Felton 4/8) then knocking over the Mutineers by 29 runs (R. Mooney 52 not out and D. Blanch 3/7) and beating Wauchope by three runs (M. Hourigan 92 not out and K. Blanch 2/20).
Although the second and third grade Grade Port City sides finished equal second in their respective competitions their final percentage based on wickets and runs both for and against has edged them out of a grand final appearance.
