Star Nathan Crudeli fires again to power Whalers into Country Cup final after downing Bunbury and Districts

Albany and Districts Cricket Association booked their place in the Country Cup final after a thrilling victory over Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association at Harvey Recreation Ground on Sunday. Star all-rounder Nathan Crudeli lifted his side to a famous 12-run win against their archrivals helping his side progress to the grand final later this month. Bunbury and Districts, the recent A-section country week champions, were in the box seat after being set 155 to win in the 50-over format but the Whalers and their young bowling attack stood tall when it counted. After a disastrous start with the bat the Whalers posted a respectable total on the back of a wonderful innings from Crudeli. He was cruelly denied a deserved century on the final ball of the Whalers innings but his fighting knock of 99 helped give the bowlers something to defend. Crudeli made an early breakthrough when he had Steve Denison caught behind and then fellow opener Charlie Walters struck in his second over to leave Bunbury and Districts 2-12. Walters then snared the dangerous Bevan Bennell for nine and when Hayden Davies trapped Bradman May in front Bunbury and Districts had limped to 4-42. But captain Blair Malatesta (27 runs from 59 balls), Brian Hughes (21 from 52) and Cruise Ciallella (18 from 42) steered Bunbury and Districts towards victory. Seamer Jack Stephens was swung into the attack as the Whalers desperately chased a breakthrough and his first delivery removed Malatesta. Hughes and Ciallella rallied with a 28-run stand but leg spinner Lincoln Joy bowled Hughes to lift the Whalers hopes. Ciallella was the next to depart, caught behind off Hayden Davies, to leave his side 8-125. In his final over Joy crashed through the defence of Corey Fitt (5) with Bunbury and Districts needing 24 to win with one wicket in hand. Tailenders Josh Topliss and Liam Renton added 11 runs but in his final over, Crudeli struck the final blow as he bowled Renton for four to hand the Whalers a memorable victory. Crudeli snared 2-24 from 9.2 overs but it was the efforts of his young teammates that helped change the game. Walters bowled a wonderful spell early on to finish with 2-18 and was well backed up with Hayden Davies (2-28) and Joy (2-29) as Bunbury and Districts were bowled out for 142. Earlier Crudeli saved the Whalers from a miserable total as he cracked 10 boundaries in his 153-minute innings. The Whalers top order collapsed as Coen Marwick (0) Alex Fergie (0) and Seb Stanton (6) all failed to fire. When Joy departed for 13 the Whalers were 4-38 and despite Crudeli making scoring look easy at the other end, he was running out of partners. Debutant Mohit Jaggi fell for three to leave the Whalers 8-84 but a vital stand between Crudeli and Hayden Davies got their side into triple figures. The pair put on 58 runs for the ninth wicket before Hayden Davies was dismissed in the 49th over for 14 from 38 balls. Crudeli was 88 at the time and smashed his second six in the final over but he could only manage a single from the final delivery of the innings to be left stranded on 99 not out. He hit eight fours and two sixes in his 99 from 136 balls to help rescue the batting innings and the Whalers took 11 runs from Liam Renton’s last over to reach 9-154. Whalers captain Jeremy Wood praised his side for their disciplined performance in the field. “Everyone bowled really well and put the pressure back on Bunbury but not giving them anything,” Wood said. “I thought the wicket wasn’t too bad but we just executed really well and fielded really well. “Hayden Davies was great, his innings with Nath (Crudeli) helped us get to 150 and then he bowled really tight. “I think this will be the first (Country Cup) final we play in, it’s something we’ve all been striving for in the last couple of years. “The way we’ve got here as well we fell over the line against Peel and then to knock over Bunbury, it will mean a bit more to get the job done.” The Whalers will face the WA Invitational XI after they defeated Peel by five wickets in the other round three fixture at Lilac Hill on Sunday. Despite an unbeaten ton from Josh Rudge, Peel could not defend 227 as the WA side secured victory with one over to spare.