Albany and Districts beat Bunbury and Districts and WA Invitational to seal Belt Up Country Cup final berth

Albany and Districts Cricket Association have sent a statement to their Belt Up Country Cup rivals, winning both their final T20 fixtures on Sunday to finish undefeated and book a spot in the decider. The Whalers’ superb day was set up after they handed ladder-leading arch rivals Bunbury and Districts a seven-wicket loss and dealt a severe blow to their finals hopes before a nervy run chase against the winless WA Invitational XI in their final game. Peel accounted for the Blue Swans in their second game, meaning the Whalers will take on Peel in a one-day decider on Sunday December 15, with the venue to be confirmed. Having accounted for Peel in their opening clash of the three-match tournament last month, the Whalers were sitting second to the Blue Swans before their opening match of the T20 double-headers at Forrest Park in Bunbury. After restricting Bunbury and Districts to 6-147 on a tricky wicket, the Whalers chased down the total three down with 10 balls to spare, virtually sewing up a spot in the final. Mitch Green provided a superb unbeaten knock of 72 from 47 balls to guide the Whalers home, with the experienced all-rounder cracking three sixes in his outstanding innings. Earlier, the Whalers’ bowling innings was marred by numerous dropped catches, with star Bunbury and Districts batter Michael Tassone cashing in with 59 not out from 42 balls. After being dropped early in his innings, swashbuckling young right-hander Cooper Clarke-Dehring threatened to take the game away from the Whalers with a rapid 30 runs from 16 balls before star spinner Joe Stanley fired one through his defences. However, despite the Whalers’ horror showing in the field, the bowlers continued to bowl tight lines and protect the short boundary, with Stanley (1-24 from four overs), Green (1-26 from four) and skipper Coen Marwick (1-31) leading the attack. Having already advanced through to the decider, the Whalers secured their third straight victory of the campaign after overcoming a nervous run chase to reel in WA Invitational’s total seven wickets down in the final over. They stumbled to 6-52, before a match-defining eighth-wicket partnership between Jed Schwarzbach (43*) and Ryley Valli (26*) clawed the Whalers to an unlikely victory. Schwarzbach’s clutch innings from 38 balls included two fours and two sixes, while Valli hit one maximum and Stanley contributed an important 20 at the top of the order. The Whalers’ bowling innings was again blemished by multiple dropped catches, but as in their first match, the bowlers remained patient and calculated to restrict WA Invitational to just 7-116 from their 20 overs. Stanley (2-10 from two) dismissed Great Southern Cricket Association opening pair Liam Want (5) and Flynn Cristinelli (8) in the power play, and Hayden Davies was superb with the new ball, taking 3-17 from four overs. Green (0-2 from one) and Schwarzbach (1-21 from four) were at their economical best, while Valli picked up the wicket of top scorer Zoraiz Saeed (28).