Kingborough pulled off an astonishing victory at Queenborough on Saturday, chasing down South Hobart-Sandy Bay’s 411 with six wickets remaining and keeping its finals chances alive.
The unlikely win means the Knights just need to defeat the Greater Northern Raiders this weekend in order to play in a semi-final, a position that coach Tom Martyn says his side are relishing.
“We just thought with a small boundary anything was sort of possible,” he said.
“We needed guys to give themselves an opportunity for James [Scott] and Niv [Radhakrishnan] to put on 50 to start.
“And in quick time, we sort of thought, oh, we’re probably a chance here. And then from there, Niv and Zac [Curtain] sort of didn’t give them a look in until we got to 300.
“We knew we could just chip away at it throughout the day, and I think we got it with 25 overs left.
“When you’ve got nothing to lose, we just played with much more freedom, which was nice to see.”
Opener Nivethan Radhakrishnan batted right through the entire day’s play, hitting an unbeaten 179 off 231 balls, including the match-winning boundary over mid-off.
Martyn praised the Knights’ all-rounder, saying he “showed his class” during Saturday’s innings.
“It was really nice for him,” he said. “It’s been a tough year with the bat, but for him to come out and basically anchor our innings and get it done for us was really pleasing.”
“He showed that he’s above the level when he applies himself like that.
“Hopefully that can springboard him into the back end of our season and into his pre-season as well.”
Radhakrishnan was not the sole centurion on the day, with Zac Curtain (105 off 133 balls) also scoring a tonne in a match that saw four players cross the milestone.
Curtain’s knock marked his second triple-figure score of the season in what has been a breakout year for the 20-year-old.
Martyn says he has come to expect heroics from Curtain, praising his consistency across the season.
“Like Niv, he just showed the level he’s at now,” he said.
“He’s really consistent performer for us and shows that with how many runs he’s scored.
“For them both to step up and win the game for us was really pleasing and what you want out of your state contracted players.”
The victory ensures Kingborough’s chances of qualifying remain credible, and its odds of securing a home final slim but doable.
Martyn described his side’s position as “do-or-die.”
“We like that position, so it’s a good spot for us to be in,” he said.
“We haven’t played our best cricket in two-day cricket across the season.
“So, to get a little bit of momentum going from Saturday will be huge for us.
“I think we play our best when we’re on the edge.
“Every game has something on it, but when there’s that extra bit of motivation, I think the boys play their best cricket.
“We’re looking forward to having the Raiders down at home and seeing what we can do.”
University’s title defence remains alive following an outright home victory against finals hopefuls Lindisfarne on Saturday.
After narrowly winning on first innings, the Lions declared in search of the extra points and were off to a strong start courtesy of a five-wicket haul from seamer Louis Smith (5/43 off 16 overs).
Nick Walden (3/14 off 10 overs) was also influential with the ball for Uni, as Lindisfarne limped to 135 with a lead of 132 going into the final innings.
It took the experienced heads of Brad Hope (42 not out off 91 balls) and skipper Ruwantha Kellapotha (46 off 56 balls) to take full advantage as the Lions dreams of back-to-back two-day premierships remains a reality.
Clarence has all but sown up top spot after comfortably defeating Greater Northern at Kangaroo Bay Oval on Saturday.
Skipper Justin Galeotti (110 not out off 151 balls) partnered with the ever-reliable Michael Jones (76 not out off 153 balls) to secure a seven-wicket victory and extend the Roos’ lead to 10 points atop the CTPL ladder.
The century is Galeotti’s third since returning to the club from Victoria in the offseason, with the opener being a major factor in Clarence’s two-day success to date.
North Hobart prevailed in a peculiar game at KGV Oval against Glenorchy, despite the Magpies being 3-231 at the conclusion of the match.
Fast-bowling pair Ben Fraser (4/19 off 13 overs) and Raf MacMillan (4/43 off 14 overs) tore through the hosts batting lineup for 96 on day one.
In response, a team batting performance from the Demons (235), led by Jack White (52 off 97 balls), put the result beyond any reasonable doubt.
A monstrous 197-run partnership from Magpie pair Ryan Graham-Daft (96 off 198 balls) and Vishwa Deemantha (106 off 160 balls) guaranteed an outright decision was not in play, but North Hobart remained victorious despite their efforts.
In the women’s competition, North Hobart has earnt the right to host next Sunday’s Kookaburra Cup Grand Final following a dominant eight-wicket win over Kingborough in a preview of the upcoming decider.
A 196-run partnership between Queenslander Caitlin Mair (102 off 105 balls) and Tasmania Tiger Naomi Stalenberg (90 not out off 93 balls) saw Kingborough’s total of 6-248 erased completely.
Star English batter Amy Gordon blasted 119 off 102 balls in the Knights’ innings, her first century of the season in the final home-and-away game.
Clare Scott was economic for the Demons, taking 3/29 off 9 overs in a potentially match-winning fast-bowling performance.
But it was all Mair and Stalenberg, the two hitting over three quarters of all of North Hobart’s runs.
The result means the grand final will be a repeat of Sunday’s run-fest, with the two star-studded sides set to do battle at the TCA Ground once again.
It was a hard luck for the Greater Northern Raiders, who did all they could to qualify for the big dance, but lacked the points to overtake Kingborough in second.
The Raiders beat Clarence comfortably, with captain Ava Curtis (75 off 103 balls) and prized offseason recruit Courtney Sippel (69 off 83 balls) helping Andy Gower’s side to 5-227.
A powerful barrage from Tabatha Saville (63 off 52 balls) was the only genuine threat the Raiders’ total, with Sippel (3/32 off 9 overs) and Chloe Casey (3/34 off 6 overs) doing the damage for the hosts.
Greater Northern won by 65 runs at Invermay Park to conclude its season in positive fashion, despite the doubtless disappointment of missing the grand final.