Ormond, Caulfield through to Subbies grand final

Blade Baxter and Rodney Bird bowl Ormond into the VSDCA south-east section final, where the Monders will meet Caulfield.

Tom Buchanan hits out for Ormond, watched by Brighton keeper Robert Salerni. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Four wickets for Baxter, four Bird, two for Buchanan.

And a brilliant against-the-odds grand final berth for Ormond.

The Monders on Saturday earned the right to host the VSDCA south-east section premiership-deciding match after defeating Brighton in the semi-final final at Brighton Beach Oval.

Ormond will fight out the flag with Caulfield after the Fielders routed Oakleigh in the other semi at Warrawee Park.

Ormond was fifth on the ladder after the home-and-away rounds but has won two knockout matches to bring the grand final to The Gunn, where it so memorably won its last title in 2014-15.

James Wild, Rodney Bird and James Bartholomeusz are the only survivors from that team.

On Saturday the Monders were dismissed for 152 in 35.1 overs, at least 30 short of where they wanted to be.

But, on a wicket with pace and carry, left-arm quickies Blade Baxter and Bird quickly cut through the best of Brighton’s batting to leave the home team in tatters.

In just a few overs the Tonners tumbled to 6-18.

Baxter removed Charith Cooray for one, caught and bowled, and champion Ricky Damiano for a third-ball duck, bowled by a ball that nipped back.

Bird got Cooray’s opening partner Brenton Murphy for one, caught by James Wild at second slip.

Then Baxter picked up Rob Salerni (4) and Josh Drummond (2), both edging behind, and it was 5-15.

Josh Drummond wheels away for Brighton. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Bird took his second wicket when he had young Henry Pearson (1) snicking to keeper Ben Speake.

Brighton at least showed some fight through veteran Johnny Damiano (48), Cal Rayner (26) and Justin Butterfield (25).

But offie Tom Buchanan claimed Damiano and Rayner, and Bird returned to take the last two wickets to end the Tonners’ innings at 129, and to end their season.

Bird finished with 4-16 off 7.4 overs. Baxter, bowling with a breeze to help his inswing, was outstanding with 4-12 off eight and Buchanan slipped in with 2-28 off seven.

Ormond captain Speake snaffled four catches to go with his 32 at the top of the order.

He and Wild (20) put on a handy 38 for the opening partnership, but no other player got going, which will presumably prompt the Monders selectors to scrutinise the batting line-up ahead of the grand final.

Luke Heath and Ben Robinson are options to bring in.

Spinner Drummond took 5-27 off 7.1 overs for Brighton.

Just as the Tonners put in a shocker with the bat, Oakleigh was bowled out for 119 after batting first against Caulfield.

Captain Brendan McGuinness, with 61 off 86 deliveries, scored more than half his team’s runs.

Caulfield skipper Jacob Thorne.

Alexander Jones contributed 22 down the list.

For a long time the Oaks have been able to scratch out handy totals at home and then hand over to their formidable attack, headed by Jones and Michael Splatt.

Their bowlers have come through on many occasions but it was asking an awful lot to protect 119.

Caulfield went past the target for the loss of openers Josh Agar (19) and David Tantsis-Hall (46), with the pair putting on 62.

Champions Jacob Thorne (28no) and Graeme Rummans (26no) saw it through in the 33rd over.

Young Jayden Banks followed the new-ball thrust of Andy King and Lachie Graf and struck with his first two balls, having former Victorian player Graeme Vimpani (6) caught at point, then claiming Ryan Pearson caught and bowled when he hit back a low full toss.

Banks added a third wicket when he removed Jack Blyth for two, and claimed 3-26 off his eight overs.

Thorne had come on to dismiss Blake Pearson (10) caught and bowled, and finished with 2-22 off his eight overs.

King (2-27 off eight), Graf (0-18 off eight) and Dale Denny (1-24 off 7.2) rounded out an exceptional bowling performance that only McGuinness, always a high-stakes player, could resist.

“Graf and King up top were really good, set the tone of the game really, and from then on we managed to hold it in our control the entire time,’’ Thorne said.

“It was as good a bowling effort as you could have, especially against them (Oakleigh).

“In one-dayers they almost lock in 150, 160.

“The bowling was really good and then we were clinical with the bat.’’

Ormond defeated Caulfield in the qualifying final at Caulfield Park last week, but even before then Thorne had expressed his high regard of the Monders.

“Good bowling, they’ve got a few pretty handy batsmen, they’ve got a mixture of types of players through their batting and bowling,’’ was his appraisal of Ormond.

“They’re a well-rounded side. They’re in a grand final, so they should be.’’

It will be Thorne’s fifth grand final in six years for Caulfield.