Thriller: Heatherhill took out the Grand Final in a thriller against Seaford Tigers. Picture: Craig Barrett
Old Peninsula crowned premiers, Heatherhill win a thriller By Brodie Cowburn
PROVINCIAL
OLD Peninsula were crowned premiers on Sunday. Old Peninsula claimed the crown after a convincing win over Langwarrin. The sides played a two-day match at Peninsula Grammar School last Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Old Peninsula got the match started by choosing to bat first. They stayed at the crease for nearly the entire day, eventually being bowled out for 186 just before stumps. A patient 41 from 122 deliveries by Thomas La Brooy steadied things for Old Peninsula when the game looked
like it might be getting away from them. He top scored for his side. On day two, Old Peninsula got the job done with a stellar bowling performance. James La Brooy was the star on Sunday. He took 7/33 from 20 overs, helping restrict Langwarrin to a final total of just 88. Old Peninsula won by 98 runs. They have been excellent all season, and their hard work paid off when they took out the MPCA’s top prize.
PENINSULA
HEATHERHILL defeated Seaford Tigers in a Grand Final thriller last weekend.
The Tigers batted first on day one of the two-day battle. First drop batter Mackenzie Gardner starred - he scored 85 runs from 178 deliveries. Shortly before stumps, the Tigers were bowled out for 182. Heatherhill’s run chase was led by opener Matthew Bishop and number three batter Kristian Miller. Bishop scored 55 before being caught out, and Miller scored an unbeaten 75. Miller nearly ran out of batting partners. Heatherhill lost 4/8 late in the day, but still managed to get over the line. Heatherhill scored the win, and took out the premiership, with two wickets left to spare.
DISTRICT
ROSEBUD have won the MPCA District division premiership after thumping Seaford at Olympic Park. Rosebud chose to bat first on their home deck on Saturday. All of their batters made good starts, but none of them went on to make big scores. They ended up all out for 176, and would need to bowl well to secure the win. Seaford batted on Sunday, and had a miserable time. Wickets fell freely throughout the afternoon, and Seaford were eventually bowled out for just 88. Patrick Nagel posted a five-wicket haul. He received plenty of help from fellow bowler Jarrod Hicks, who took 4/19.
SUB DISTRICT
IT took Balnarring a little more than 30 overs to wrap up a win over Mt Martha in last weekend’s MPCA Sub District division Grand Final. Mt Martha batted first in the season decider. They struggled badly, only managing to score 102 runs before being bowled out. Patrick Nickeas was the pick of the bowlers for Balnarring. He took 4/19. Balnarring made short work of their target. They chased it down in 31 overs with eight wickets left to spare. Opener Luke Hewitt scored an unbeaten 47 to help his side claim premiership glory. .
'The National' to host season ending competition GOLF
THE last weekend in March will be a massive finish to the Australasian Tour season of golf at The National in Cape Schanck. A spot in the ‘Open Championship’ field for 2023 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, and three playing places on the DP World Tour for 2023-24 season go on the line at The National as the domestic golf season reaches its climax. Months of toil and travel will come to fruition when the Moonah course hosts the season-ending tournament on
the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia. A season spanning 16 tournaments that began in mid-October, 2022, will close and the Order of Merit will be decided. It is a pivotal point for many of the 110 players in the field for the $200,000 tournament, because at stake are some big opportunities. The winner of the Order Of Merit – currently led by Victorian star David Micheluzzi – will earn a place in the field at Royal Liverpool for the fabled
Open Championship in July. But this is but one of the playing opportunities that will be decided on the peninsula. The top three finishers in the Order of Merit will receive playing rights for the DP World Tour in the 2023-24 season, giving them starts on what used to be known as the European Tour. These are the main carrots with many other opportunities that basically see any player in the top 20 or so gain some type of benefit, such as a spot at final stage of the Korn Ferry or DPWT qualifying schools.
Currently Micheluzzi, who has won two tournaments in a breakout summer, leads from Canberra’s Brendan Jones and Victorian Andrew Martin. Aside from the top three in the Order of Merit getting DP World Tour (European) cards, the next three in order receive an exemption into the final stage of DP World Tour qualifying school, and the next seven players get into the second stage of Q-school. The top five overall receive an entry to the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-school in the United States, and the players
ranked sixth to fifteenth are into the second stage of Q-school for that tour, which serves as the gateway to the lucrative PGA Tour in America. “This might be the end of a long season for the players,” said Dastey. “But it’s absolutely huge for many of them and we have no doubt that it’s going to bring the best out of them. To put that kind of contest on to a world class golf course like the Moonah at The National, it showcases our sport at a very high level.”
Frankston Times
21March 2023
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