CRCA minor premiership musical chairs in final day drama

Three different teams had one hand on a grand final berth, but at the end of the day only one team could finish top of the GDSC Premier League ladder.

Three different teams had one hand on a grand final berth, but at the end of the day it was Clocktower Hotel Brothers who secured top spot.

After a wet week washed out two of Clarence River Cricket's lower grade fixtures, drawn results in each of the last round two-day matches of GDSC Premier League appeared highly likely 24 hours before play was due to resume on Saturday, in which case Brothers would have been handed the minor premiership as the top ranked side.

But the rain stayed away long enough for the pitches at Ellem Oval and Ulmarra Showground to be deemed playable, and so began a day of musical chairs in the battle for top spot.

Cricket action across the Clarence 6/3/21

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GDSC Easts-Westlawn Crown Hotel, who entered the last round two competition points behind Brothers, struck the first blow by defending their previous week total of 88, cleaning up Ulmarra Hotel Tucabia-Copmanhurst for just 85 to claim first innings victory by three runs, with Nathan Blanch (6/53 off 24.3) and Shannon Connor (3/22 off 24) bowling virtually unchanged at Ulmarra.

However, Brothers regained top spot midway through the afternoon when South Services succumbed for 93 in pursuit of 8(dec)/205.

Then it was Tucabia's turn as they skittled Easts-Westlawn for 80 in their second innings and chased down the total with three wickets to spare and claim the maximum 14 points for outright victory, one point ahead of Brothers on the live ladder.

But Brothers would have the last laugh and earn a week off before the grand final on March 27-28 when they bowled Souths out for a second time for just 90 runs to also claim outright victory.

Brothers finished on 74 competition points, followed by Tucabia on 68 and Easts-Westlawn - who took away five points for an outright loss after leading on first innings - on 63 points, with Souths languishing at the bottom on 31.

Tucabia and Easts-Westlawn will face off in the preliminary final this weekend for the right to play Brothers in the grand final.

Originally published as CRCA minor premiership musical chairs in final day drama