Norths end Gold Coast Dolphins’ T20 finals hopes with victory on the last ball at Ian Healy Oval

A heartbreaking final-ball loss to Norths has ended Gold Coast’s Twenty20 semi final hopes in the cruellest way possible but batsman Jack Hargreaves says the pain has only intensified the Dolphins’ title hunger.

A HEARTBREAKING final-ball loss to Norths has ended Gold Coast’s Twenty20 semi final hopes in the cruellest way possible but batsman Jack Hargreaves says the pain has only intensified the Dolphins’ title hunger.

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Having posted 8-175 from their 20 overs on the back of knocks from opener Josh Kann (48 off 21 balls) and returning veteran Andrew Robinson (41 not out off 25), the Dolphins were within touching distance of a top-four berth before the latest of heroics from Norths’ Hamish Martin.

With his side sitting at 7-174 and needing two for victory off the final ball at Ian Healy Oval, the left-handed no.8 smashed Kann’s attempted yorker over the mid-wicket boundary to help his side leapfrog the Dolphins into a semi-final spot.

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The Vikings had earlier been cruising to victory as openers Josh Brown (71 off 30) and Kendel Fleming (39 off 27) put on 104 for the first wicket, before Xavier Bartlett (2-35), Kann (2-39), Hargreaves (1-10), Matt Kuhnemann (1-31) and Sam Yabsley (1-44) applied the brakes.

Hugho Burdon bats against Toombul on Saturday. Picture: Steve Holland

Norths then entered the final over needing six to win and the Dolphins appeared to grab the ascendancy when Kann dismissed noted hitter Nathan McSweeney (29) from the first ball of the over, but Martin (18 not out off 15) showed coolness under pressure to guide his side home.

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The Dolphins will now turn their attention to the two-day competition, where they sit fifth with five games to play, and Hargreaves said they were desperate to reach the semi finals for the first time since 2013-14.

“There’s a really good vibe going on in our team, even Robbo said that coming back. Everyone gets on really well and I don’t know if we’ve had that over the last couple of seasons,” Hargreaves, 26, said.

Dolphins batsman Jack Hargreaves. Picture: Mike Batterham

“There’s plenty of belief and blokes are hungry to do well and push (for finals) because we’re still up there in the red-ball stuff. Playing finals cricket would be a pretty big thing for us.

“Everyone is pretty down about losing (yesterday) because we would have gone through to the finals. But to come back from where they were at 0-80 (0-76) or something after their first six (overs), it was good fight.

“Obviously there’s got to be a winner and a loser.”

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The Dolphins set up their shot at a top-four finish with their fourth T20 win in five games on Saturday, chasing down Toombul’s 7-125 with six wickets and five balls to spare at Robina.

Spinners Kuhnemann (2-18) and Hugo Burdon (2-22) did the damage with the ball, before all-rounder Liam Hope-Shackley hit an unbeaten 43 in the run chase.

The Dolphins host Valleys in a two-dayer next Saturday and Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

■ Gold Coast 8-175 def. by Norths 7-180 at Ian Healy Oval