Back-to-back losses send Gold Coast Dolphins crashing out of Qld Premier Cricket T20 finals race
THE Gold Coast Dolphins will be playing for pride alone in the final round of Queensland Premier Cricket’s Twenty20 competition after slumping to back-to-back defeats this weekend.
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THE Gold Coast Dolphins will be playing for pride alone in the final round of Queensland Premier Cricket’s Twenty20 competition after slumping to back-to-back defeats over the weekend.
Needing to win their last four games to reach the semi finals, the Dolphins slumped to a 64-run loss to Valleys on Saturday before falling to Norths by 37 runs today.
Saturday’s result at Robina came despite the efforts of all-rounder Liam Hope-Shackley, who took 3-35 to help restrict Valleys to 9-150.
OPINION - HOW ARE WE GETTING IT SO WRONG?
But a diabolical start to the run chase left the hosts reeling at 3-11, with captain Max Houlahan (26 from 14) and Hugo Burdon (25 from 24) the only batsmen to reach double figures as the Dolphins were skittled for 86 inside 15 overs.
On Sunday, Houlahan sent Norths in on a flat Bill Pippen Oval deck and the Vikings cashed in to post 7-183.
Ben Davis (2-30), Trent Arnold (2-32) and Matt Kuhnemann (2-35) were the best of the Coast bowlers.
The Dolphins’ pursuit appeared on track as Jack Hargreaves (49), Lewin Maladay (43) and Jack Cooper (23) steered them to 1-90, but a steady fall of wickets in the dying stages left the home side at 7-146 from their 20 overs.
GOLD COAST DOLPHINS PHOTO GALLERY
They will play their last two T20 fixtures away to Toombul and Redlands next Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The Dolphins’ women fell to Valleys in a nailbiter in their first game today, but bounced back to beat Ipswich-Logan by seven wickets in their second outing.
WEEKEND RESULTS:
MEN’S T20S
■ Saturday: Valleys 9-150 def. Gold Coast 86
■ Sunday: Norths 7-183 def. Gold Coast 7-146
WOMEN’S T20S
■ Sunday: Gold Coast 5-114 def. by Valleys 8-115
■ Sunday: Ipswich-Logan 4-113 def. by Gold Coast 3-114
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