ADCA 2024-25: Railways pound wounded Royals to book grand final spot as three teams finish locked on 58 points

A clinical bowling performance from Railways has helped secure a grand final berth, as the Tigers snared the bonus point victory required in the final round of the regular season on Saturday. In an incredible finish to the normal season, three teams finished on 58 points at the end of 20 rounds. But the Tigers are the first team into the Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade decider after securing seven bonus points compared to the four that Royals and Mt Barker each collected. The Lions needed a win to finish on top of the ladder but their batting woes continued in what turned out to be a horror day for the reigning premiers. Captain Mitch Green injured his calf and appears unlikely to play again this season, while spinner Jack Hastie came from the field late with a hamstring injury— the injury blow compounded by the fact the Lions coughed up a bonus point and top spot in the last hour of the regular season. The Tigers skittled the Lions for 111 at Turf North on a wet and windy day, with the game reduced to 49 overs per side. Veteran seamer Tim Edmunds returned to the side to snare 3-25, while the performance of fellow seasoned Tigers Coen Marwick (3-26) and Ryan Tindale (2-29) helped give the Tigers a perfect chance at a bonus point result. Green retired hurt on two after setting off for a quick single in the seventh over. He was carried from the field but later returned to desperately try lift his side to a competitive total, batting with a runner to support Ryan Davies who had dug in, unlike the rest of the lower order. Marwick trapped Ryan Davies for 33 in the 44th over and earlier Ryley Valli hit two sixes in his 33 from 79 balls, but the Lions’ middle order crumbled under the pressure. Hayden Davies removed Billy O’Meara early in the chase but Marwick (42) and English star Joe Stanley (29) shared in a 66-run stand that pushed the Tigers towards victory. Ryan Davies broke the partnership when he dismissed Marwick before Matt France turned the game on its head. France removed Stanley before he clean-bowled Jordan Draper and then trapped Caleb Haua lbw in a brilliant hat-trick. Devon Jefferis tried to steady the ship but France landed another blow when he bowled Oswin D’Sylva for one, the Tigers losing a seventh wicket with seven runs still to win. Alan Pietersen (6no) and Mohit Jaggi (8no) stood tall to deny France a fifth wicket, as they won with three wickets in hand in the 28th over. Jefferis played a crucial role with 22 from 27 balls before he chipped a ball back to Hastie. That was enough to earn a bonus point, with the seven total points lifting the Tigers to 58 like their other premiership rivals. An elated Marwick said it was an exciting result for this group, who will now sit back to see who their grand final opponent will be. “It’s a great reward for a younger team that’s been through some tough times and have stuck together and worked really hard,” he said. “It was a really good team performance. “We obviously haven’t won anything yet, and we still have to go out and put our best foot forward in the grand final. “We’re just excited at this stage. We don’t know who we’re playing yet, so I haven’t thought about it too much. “We have the week off so we’ll just do what we do this week — train, wait and see who we’re playing, and then next week I’m sure it’ll be very exciting and probably a bit (nervous) for a few of the guys.” France was huge in a losing affair with 4-23 from 8.3 overs but the Lions now face a tall order, heading into a preliminary final against the Bulls with major doubts over Green, Hastie and Harry Grigson (finger). Collingwood Park closed out their season with a win in the dead rubber against Manypeaks at Turf East. Young star Buddy Robinson was denied his maiden A-grade century in the dying stages of Park’s innings batting first. Robinson belted four sixes in his superb 89 from 114 balls as Park were bowled out for 179 after Cameron Walsh (3-16) rattled Park’s top order. Peaks were 1-65 after 25 overs in reply before rain stopped play and Park eventually scored a 114-run win on the Duckworth-Lewis method.