Sport
20 March, 2026
Premiers
THE South West Cricket Association division two grand final went down to the wire last Saturday, with Bookaar prevailing over Pomborneit by just three runs.
Pomborneit skipper Charlie Voutier won the toss and sent Bookaar into bat first at Camperdown’s SA Wright Oval.
Bulls opening bowlers Gavin Reynolds and Stephen Hill were tight at the start, Reynolds picking up Pelicans dangerman Luke O’Neil in the fifth over with the score on 10, caught behind by Ben Whytcross low to the ground.
When Hill bowled Stephen Fitzgerald for 13 in the 12th over, Bookaar were 2/30.
Henry Green and Andrew Cheeseman steadily kept the Bookaar innings ticking over in a 42 run, third wicket partnership.
Cheeseman hit two boundaries back over the bowler’s head and looked set to go on with it before skiing a Max Rees delivery to mid-on, caught by Luke Reynolds running backwards, out for 31 from 55 balls.
Young off-spinner Fletcher Tolland continued to bowl tightly at one end, as Voutier came on at the other and quickly got one through the defence of Bookaar co-captain Nathan Moran - bowling the Bookaar co-captain for a duck to have the Pelicans at 4/74 in the 25th over.
Left-hander Matthew Field looked dangerous, hitting two boundaries before being run out from a low, hard, accurate throw from Mikey Hayes on the boundary to bowler Levi Cootesmith for 12 from 17 balls.
Co-captain Jeremy Lucas joined Green at the wicket and immediately made an impact, hitting an early boundary.
Green reached his half century soon after and was then caught by George Sadler from the bowling of Cootesmith for 54 from 77 balls, hitting six boundaries in his knock.
Cootesmith trapped Tim Lucas in front LBW in his next over for one, with the Pelicans 7/143 after 37 overs.
Bookaar scored 19 in the last three overs before losing their 10th wicket on the final ball of the innings.
Gavin Reynolds bowled Jonnie Hooper and Jeremy Lucas in the 40th over, with wicket-keeper Whytcross combining with Reynolds to run out Myles Sinnott on the last ball at the bowlers’ end.
Reynolds led the Pomborneit bowlers with 3/27 from eight overs, Cootesmith took 2/29 from five overs while Hill went at just 1.62 runs per over with the new ball, taking 1/13 from eight overs straight.
Pomborneit reached 19 in the eighth over before skipper Voutier was the first wicket to fall for 10 from 31 balls, caught at mid-on by Rory Cameron from the bowling of Nathan Moran.
Ben Whytcross made a run a ball eight before Thomas Baker got one through his defence to bowl the Bulls number three.
Fletcher Tolland holed out to mid-on off Nathan Moran, as did Luke Reynolds from Rory Cameron’s first ball to see the Bulls slump to 4/51 in the 18th over.
Stephen Hill and Simon Tolland took the score to 79 before Hill was trapped in front by Stephen Fitzgerald for 12.
The Bulls then put on their most substantial partnership with Tolland and George Sadler putting on 47 for the sixth wicket before Sadler was LBW to Thomas Baker for 20 from 38 balls.
Gavin Reynolds was soon after run out for two before Levi Cootesmith joined Tolland, the pair continuing to edge Pomborneit closer to the score.
Tolland reached his half-century with the Bulls needing 17 from the last four overs with three wickets in hand.
The 37th over saw Baker bowl three dot balls to Tolland before a short ball down leg side hit the gloves of the set Pomborneit batsman, popping up in the air and caught brilliantly by Pelicans’ keeper Henry Green who made great ground and dived to secure the catch.
Tolland made a match high 59 from 61 balls, hitting seven fours.
Levi Cootesmith was bowled playing across the line in the 38th over by Myles Sinnott to see Pomborneit at 9/150.
Last wicket pairing Mikey Hayes and Max Rees took seven from the 39th over to keep hope alive; the Bulls needing five to win from the 40th and final over.
Rees hit the first ball from Sinnott for a single, with no score from the second ball.
Hayes clipped the third ball to Rory Cameron at mid-wicket, the teenager claiming his third catch of the innings to give Bookaar a nail-biting win in a memorable game between the season’s top two teams in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.
Baker led the Bookaar bowling with 3/40 from eight overs, with Moran and Sinnott taking two each in the win.
Umpires Wes Bramwell and Paul Hay awarded the player of the match medal to Bookaar’s Henry Green before the Pelicans received their cup and pennant.
The win marks Bookaar’s second division two premiership in three years.
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