17/03/2026
TIER 1
Wingham T1 hold their nerve to claim Tier 1 grand final. Middle-order resilience and disciplined defence deliver a 44‑run triumph at Cedar Party Reserve
Wingham T1 10/169 vs Taree United 10/125
Pressure defined Wingham T1’s grand final, and it was their ability to absorb it with the bat and then apply it with the ball that shaped a deserved premiership at Cedar Party Reserve. Asked to set a total in a one-day decider, Wingham’s innings moved in waves. After the early loss of Michael Rees at 13, Ben Marron’s 33 (49) and Ben Cole’s 17 (22) pushed the score to 49/2, giving the side a foothold. The key passage came as Marron and David Rees built steadily to 75/3, David adding a brisk 23 (30) with two fours and a six.
When both departed in quick succession to leave Wingham 84/5, the innings could have stalled, but Hudson Bird’s 8 (11) and, crucially, Timothy Rees with 27 (38) dragged the total into more secure territory. Ryan Morris finished unbeaten on 16 (16), nudging and driving Wingham to a defendable score.
With runs on the board in a final, Wingham attacked the second innings with clarity and discipline. The bowling unit maintained tight lines, backed by committed ground fielding and alert catching, turning dots into sustained pressure. That collective effort steadily pushed the asking rate beyond reach and drew mistakes from the chase.
By the closing stages, Wingham’s energy in the field matched the earlier resolve with the bat, sealing a 44‑run victory that reflected a squad willing to do the hard, unspectacular work in both innings when it mattered most.
TIER 2
West steers OBCC Active Balance to Tier 2 grand final glory. Gritty middle-order resistance overturns early collapse at Old Bar Park
OBCC Active Balance T2 7/95 vs Taree West Sixers T2 10/92
Patience and resilience under pressure framed OBCC Active Balance’s grand final win at Old Bar Park, built on a calm response to an early top-order slide. Chasing a modest target after a disciplined effort in the field, OBCC’s reply lurched into trouble at 23/4, despite a brisk 18 (14) from Austin Murray at the top. From that precarious position, Aaron Bayley and Shaun West rebuilt with quiet discipline, Bayley’s 21 (83) absorbing the pressure and denying any further inroads as the pair inched the score to safety. Even after Bayley’s dismissal triggered a brief stutter, OBCC still found composure through the lower order. West became the anchor around whom the chase settled, compiling an unflustered 31* (94) that steadily eroded the target and calmed the occasion. He found vital late support from Garry West, whose positive 13* (14) with two boundaries shifted the momentum decisively towards OBCC and ensured the chase finished with control rather than anxiety.
Earlier, OBCC’s bowlers and fielders had set up the finale with a tight display, backed by sharp catching and a key run out from Lachlan Keen. That combined effort left a chase within reach, and the manner in which West and Bayley absorbed pressure before Garry West closed it out underlined why OBCC Active Balance T2 secured the grand final by three wickets.
