CRICKET –
The Under 21’s Glenn Rowlands Shield semi-finals were played on Sunday, January 24, with the two best northern teams of this season’s title race going head-to-head.
At Baker Park, Wyong hosted The Entrance in a game that hung in the balance all the way up to the final over.
Wyong were first to bat and started strong with 14 runs off the first over, but then the The Entrance bowler, Broc Hardy, took his first of three wickets at the start of the second over, with his first bowl of the innings.
An early 29-run partnership between Lachlan and Callum Rainger ended with Regan Stone’s bowling, caught by Callum Dunkerley
From here, the batsmen continued to steadily build their score over 20 overs, ending on a competitive total of nine wickets for 116 runs, with the highest run score going to Kaleb Daley with 25.
As well as Hardy, Levi Bailey also bowled out three wickets for 15 runs in four overs.
It took The Entrance 19 overs and five wickets to overcome this high score, largely thanks to a strong 38-run partnership between opening batsmen, Jake Hardy and Callum Dunkerley.
Rhiley Carr reached a batting total of 36 runs not out, ending the Semi Final with the last hit of the ball, earning a single run in the 19th over.
Kaleb Daley bowled best for Wyong, earning two wickets for 24 runs off four overs.
Meanwhile, Southern Spirit defeated Kincumber at Erina Oval in the second Semi Final, resulting in a Central Coast North v South Grand Final to take out this season’s Shield.
Haakon Barry