Yamba opening bowlers dash Iluka’s hopes

NO AMOUNT of commitment could save Iluka from bowing out of the LCCA first grade title race.

ON TARGET: Kallen Lawrence bowling for Yamba in the LCCA first grade preliminary final match with Iluka at Iluka Oval. Photo: Bill North / The Daily Examiner. Picture: Bill North

NO AMOUNT of commitment could save Iluka from bowing out of the LCCA first grade title race.

Not even the fact James Duff drove from Cairns specially to help his side's cause before returning directly after the match on Saturday.

Instead, Yamba will once again meet Wanderers in the grand final after a tense finish to the preliminary final at Iluka Oval.

"The boys were a bit disappointed," Iluka captain Greg Speirs said.

"But we can take a lot of positives from our season. They all played for each other all year.

"It's a pity we cannot go one more.

"We missed Corey Kempshall, that's no secret, and nothing would've stopped him next week."

A key figure with bat and ball, Kempshall was instead scoring from the sidelines with stitches in his foot. Yet Iluka still managed to restrict Yamba to 123 in the first innings.

James Law-O'Keefe (34) and Jonathon Avila (23) both made starts, but the in-form Troy Urquhart scored just 13 while Speirs (2 for 24 off 6 overs), a part-time option with the ball, clean bowled his opposite number Laurie Urquhart (0) first ball.

But the visitors' opening bowlers Jay Phillips (3 for 21 off 8) and Kallen Lawrence (3 for 22 off 8) made the total look much greater.

Between them, the pair had Iluka reeling at 6 for 38 as their captain elected to bowl them unchanged for the maximum eight overs each.

"They bowled well, three wickets each," Laurie Urquhart said.

"We have plenty of bowlers after them so I thought, they're bowling well, I'll keep them on."

Iluka fought on through Dean Bartlett (18), Zac Newton (19) and Dillan Forrest (15), but continued losing wickets at regular intervals.

Before long it was up to Speirs (27) to produce something special with James Peterson (0*) holding up the other end.

After a 19-run last-wicket stand, the resistance finally ended just 12 runs shy, with two overs remaining when Speirs top-edged a ball onto his helmet, and into the hands of Laurie Urquhart.

"I was getting a little bit nervous towards the end," Urquhart said.

The grand final will take place at Barry Watts Oval in Maclean at 1pm this Saturday.

Wanderers progressed courtesy of being the higher-ranked side in the major semi-final tie with Iluka last week.

Originally published as Yamba opening bowlers dash Iluka’s hopes