Unbeaten through the preliminary rounds, the Tigers looked on course to advance to the decider at Rex Jackson Oval, with Balgownie reeling at 4-7.

But the Magpies wouldn’t be denied, passing Helensburgh’s total of 8-108 five wickets down. 

In contrast, short-form final opponent University barely raised a sweat in cruising to a nine-wicket thumping of Wollongong. 

Restricting the Lighthouse Keepers to 9-123, Andrew Page (56 not out) and coach Mitch Calder (42 not out), ensured Uni won, with 14 balls to spare.

“We’ve been working on our top order doing a job and valuing our wicket,” Calder said. “It’s great to get to the final, the boys have found some form, but we’ve got one more to go.”

As Uni have started a mid-season recovery in the one and two day competition, Calder has now scored three half-centuries in his last five innings, as well as Sunday’s unbeaten stand. 

But Calder declared Uni’s bowlers are the likely Twenty20 grand final match-winners, after Vijay Karthik took 3-19, while Murray Crowe helped put the brakes on Wollongong with 1-16 off his four overs. With Corbin Brown, Adam Berwick, Rob Fisher and Jamie Fleming in the Balgownie line-up, Calder knows they’ll be a dangerous prospect at North Dalton Park. 

“Our bowlers have done a fantastic job this season and we’ll back them again to try and contain them,” he said.

“Chasing a run-a-ball (against Wollongong) makes it a little bit easier, once we didn’t lose early wickets.” At 5-53, Balgownie piled on 40 off the next four overs to turn the tide, winning after Helensburgh lost to Dapto in a one-dayer on Saturday.

Twenty20 final, Sunday (3pm)

UNIVERSITY v

BALGOWNIE at North Dalton Park 

Semi-finals: UNIVERSITY 1-127 d WOLLONGONG 9-123, BALGOWNIE 5-109 d HELENSBURGH 8-108.