Great Southern Carnival ends with Albany and Districts Cricket Association’s top sides in grand final showdown

The revitalised and rebranded Great Southern Carnival turned into the Albany and Districts show as the association’s two teams qualified for Sunday’s grand final after two days of competition on the North Road turfs. Fortunately for bragging rights, the top team prevailed to claim what was dubbed the Friendship Cup — though it was a close-run thing as there were just eight runs between the sides come the close. Albany and Districts 1 were put in and made a gettable 8-125; the 2s, however, fell just short on 8-117, running out of steam just as it looked as though they might spring a surprise. The aim of the carnival, which took place from January 10-11, was to revive the Albany and Districts festival, which folded in the 1990s, and provide practice for the upcoming senior country week. As well as the two ADCA sides, teams from Esperance, Great Southern, Yallingup and Warren-Blackwood battled over two days in Twenty20 clashes. With the ADCA sides both making the showpiece finale, it was an ideal practice and bonding weekend, though winning skipper Coen Marwick said he would have enjoyed an outing against a different rival. “It would have been better for the atmosphere to have played Esperance or Yallingup, but it was a great opportunity for those sides to play on turf ahead of country week — and it was great for us to play together as a team,” he said. ADCA president Ryan Tindale said he hoped the event was here to stay and could even attract extra teams next year. “Everybody loved it,” he said. “There were no negative comments from any of the teams. “All the travelling teams were happy to be playing on turf, there was some excellent cricket, mostly at a run a ball, and the wickets were really good. “It’s a fantastic warm-up for the sides going to country week, and if we can attract another couple of teams next year, we can make it even better.” The ADCA 2 side made the final in dramatic fashion, needing a super over in their match against Esperance to overhaul their opponents both in the match and on the ladder. Esperance bowler Jeremy Curry conceded 13 runs off his final over, allowing ADCA 2 to draw level, with a six from Matthew Thompson off the penultimate delivery doing most of the damage. And, having made the showpiece, they were clearly fired up to face their theoretical betters and made swift inroads into the ADCA 1 top order. Dylan Belward took two scalps in the opening over as Seb Stanton was trapped lbw off an absolute snorter and Alby Berridge followed him into the pavilion, his stumps removed off the final ball. At the other end, Thompson continually beat the bat, with Oli Clark having to be on his toes behind the stumps. Opener Billy O’Meara and Buddy Robinson steadied the ship and kept the scoreboard ticking over but still offered up catchable chances — Belward and Leighton Smith both missing opportunities to further damage the ADCA 1 batting order. O’Meara ended up unbeaten on 49 off 52 balls, a performance which earned him the player of the match award, while Robinson’s innings came to an end on 34, caught by Cameron Walsh off Jed Schwarzbach. The 2s got a lucky break when Coen Marwick was dubiously given lbw on two, and only Oliver Douglas’ 17 helped the score along after that. Walsh ended up with 3-27, while Belward finished with 2-21. Schwarzbach’s unbeaten 38 was the core of the ADCA 2 response but he received little help from his teammates bar Smith’s 16 and Clark’s 13. As they tried to slog with the overs diminishing, Walsh was run out going for a second and then Berridge took a marvellous diving catch to remove Thompson and leave the 2s on 8-109. Nick Bickford was the underdogs’ last hope, and he walloped a four off the first ball of the final over, saluting the spectators as though he had made a century. But needing 17 off those final deliveries, they managed eight and ADCA 1 were able to celebrate maintaining the pecking order — just. Yallingup-Oddbods were third on the ladder with two wins and a loss in their three matches, finishing ahead of Esperance, who had one victory and two defeats. Great Southern, who were using the carnival as pre-country week practice, were fifth, with Warren-Blackwood sixth.