East Albury scored one of its best wins in years on Saturday to snatch a spot in Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial finals.
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The Crows needed to beat runaway competition leaders Belvoir and Caleb Hobbs hit the winning runs with 11 balls to spare.
"He showed intent from ball one, he was an absolute star," coach Brett Davies enthused.
The home team leapfrogged Tallangatta, which lost to St Patrick's to finish seventh for a second successive season.
"I'll say yes, last round, knowing we had to beat the No. 1 side,. who's hardly been beaten all year, that showed a lot of ticker," Davies replied when asked if that's one of the greatest wins in his five seasons at the club.
Belvoir had lost only two matches and was strong favourites to claim its 17th win, but the desperate Crows ripped through the powerful top and middle order to leave the Eagles at 8-106.
However, a 34-run stand between Lachie McMillan (53 from 98 deliveries) and Zac Simmonds (44 not out), followed by an unbeaten 53-run with the latter and David Perkins (22no) pushed the visitors to a strong position at 9-193.
Matt Tom (52) and captain Miles Hemann-Petersen (49) posted 72 for the second wicket, but at 6-156, the Eagles fancied their chances,
But unheralded No. 5 Hobbs was outstanding with an unbeaten 44 from 48 deliveries, guiding the team to a four-wicket win.
Meanwhile, Tallangatta will rue its final round loss to miss another finals campaign.
Missing one of the association's top bats in recent years in Shoaib Shaikh, the Bushies were in trouble at 9-143, despite a 62-run stand between coach Matt Armstrong (56 not out) and captain Sam Stephens (30).
Former association star Andrew Lade, who's now 51, combined in a 34-run stand for the final wicket as the visitors posted 177.
The Patties, who needed a big win and favourable results to squeeze into finals, were 3-47, but outgoing coach Liam Scammell posted his highest score of the season with 91 from 141 balls, including 10 boundaries, in a 126-run partnership with Nick Brown (47no), who was playing his first game in five weeks after an overseas trip.
St Pat's went from the grand final to missing the top six and no club has missed one player more after former Zimbabwean international Tendai Chisoro didn't return due to visa issues following his superb 2022-23.
Elsewhere, Wodonga Raiders jumped Corowa into fourth.
Raiders were dismissed at home for 124 with No. 8 Chanaka Ranaweera top-scoring with 46.
Nick Grant shared the new ball and claimed 4-21 from 10 tight overs.
The visitors slumped to 7-45, but a wonderful innings by captain Jarryd Hatton (61no) looked likely to steal an unlikely win.
Corowa had moved to 8-116, but miserly bowling by captain Tom Powell (3-15 from 10) and Jonathan Carson (3-32) restricted Corowa to 120.
Baranduda looked capable of causing the upset of the season, despite posting only 104.
North Albury's Blake Elliott, who finished as the association's third highest wicket-taker with 40, captured 3-17, while Ryan Addison nabbed 3-19.
In reply, North was 8-63, but coach Matt Condon, in the unfamiliar role of No. 8, guided his team home with 25no, along with Addison (13no).
Lavington hammered Wodonga by seven wickets with Hunter Hall (4-21) and Chris Galvin (50no) starring, while Albury blasted New City by eight wickets as the latter's Pat Harrington (57) joined Albury's Oliver Hald (4-42), Varun Chopra (69no) and Ross Dixon (50) as the standouts.
So after 20 rounds, Albury and St Pat's dropped out of finals from last year, with Raiders and Corowa jumping in.
The ladder, after 20 rounds, is: Belvoir 99, North Albury 84, Lavington 78, Wodonga Raiders 75, Corowa 69, East Albury 66; Tallangatta 60, St Patrick's 60, Albury 60, New City 39, Wodonga 18, Baranduda 12.
The first week of finals is: Belvoir v East Albury, North v Corowa and Lavington v Wodonga Raiders.