University sneak into finals on chaotic day

University has progressed through to the Illawarra semi-finals despite falling to Wollongong on Saturday.

The two sides entered the day sitting fourth and fifth on the ladder, with the winner almost certain to claim fourth and progress through to next week’s finals.

Wollongong claimed the victory, but the nature of the result and a Dapto win forced the administrators to get their calculators out to determine whether it was enough to finish fourth.

It wasn’t.

Wollongong were required to restrict University to less than 183 to secure the vital bonus point. Uni clawed their way to 195. That saw Uni receive two points and Wollongong six. Dapto, sitting equal on points with Wollongong before the day started, were able to muster a bonus point and were handed seven points for their victory over Northern Districts. 

The result was University and Dapto sitting equal on 58 points, Wollongong close behind on 57. It came down to net run rate, with Uni edging Dapto 1.2059 to 1.0119, thus ending the Dapto title defence.

“We just scraped through,” Uni captain Mitch Calder said. “We’ll take it, we’re going to have to be better for finals next week against Bally though. Our top order’s been woeful over the last couple of weeks, we really need to pick it up a gear.”

The late afternoon chaos came after a gripping day of Illawarra cricket, with Dapto starting the day determined to record a big victory, and Uni and Wollongong simply desperate for a win. 

Bowling first, it was Uni who grabbed the upper hand early in the piece, reducing Wollongong to 4-90. However, the batting side fought back, with the last two wickets producing 49 runs. Runs that proved to be the difference in the game. 

Uni were slow out of the gates in the run chase, constantly on the back foot as Joel Gray claimed the crucial wickets of Andrew Page and James Chappell. Uni were floundering at 6-53 and Wollongong were well on their way to the finals.

However, Uni would not roll over and when Mitch Hearn (80) and Oliver Sharwood (76) combined for a 137-run partnership, they were back in control.

Enter William Badger. The strike bowler took the crucial wicket of Hearn before cleaning through the tail, reducing Uni from 6-190 to 10-195. The wickets didn’t come soon enough, however, with Uni already eclipsing the crucial 183-run mark. 

From there it was time to determine whether it was Uni or Dapto who would live to fight another day.

Earlier on Saturday, Dapto bowled Port Kembla out for 146, with captain Richard Marsh taking three wickets. The Canaries knew quick runs were required to have any hope of making the finals, and they did their best to pull it off. Marsh belted 49* to help chase down the total in 27.2 overs and claim the eight-wicket win. 

Ultimately it wasn’t enough, with Uni edging Dapto to book a date with Balgownie next weekend.

Round 13

BALGOWNIE 7-241 d CORRIMAL 104

DAPTO 2-149 d PORT KEMBLA 146

HELENSBURGH 7-179 d WESTS 178 

KEIRA 8-222 d NORTHERN DISTRICTS 163

WOLLONGONG 229 d UNIVERSITY 195