Sport
6 February, 2026
Upsets galore shakes up A reserve finals race
Saturday, January 31, was the day of the upset in A reserve, with a multitude of unexpected results causing an already claustrophobic finals picture to become even tighter.
MKM 5/141 def Avoca 136
Another dominant bowling performance has powered MKM back into the top four, handing Avoca a two-game losing streak after the ladder-leaders went the first 11 rounds unbeaten.
The Bulldogs faced imminent danger of a whitewash at Ron Sinclair Oval, caged to 6/38 courtesy of a Muhammad Haseeb Khan three-wicket haul.
A 46-run partnership between Cameron Holland and Eyan Habib came at a perfect time for the visitors, with Habib going on to nearly single-handedly bring Avoca to 136 with a high-voltage 59.
Despite some early breakthroughs from James Collicoat and Brad Palmer, opener Nathan Leist buoyed the Mill’s response with nine boundaries on his way to making 61.
Jarrod Nedelkovski also impressed as part of a 73-run stand alongside Leist, helping MKM surpass their target in the 32nd over with an unbeaten 32.
Fresh off scoring 84 the week prior, Palmer was the pick of the bowlers for Avoca, taking 2/8 from five overs.
Colts Phelans 9/170 def by Clunes 6/171
The Magpies have flown ever closer to the first-placed Bulldogs after scraping past Colts Phelans in a gripping Grand Final rematch.
Quickly finding themselves 2/2 after winning the toss and electing to bat, the Colts recovered well in large part due to a well-made 31 from Bayden Macintyre and team-leading run-scorer Luke Patterson bashing 44.
With a three-wicket haul from Josh Dunn placing Clunes in a commanding position with the hosts 8/125, a 45-run ninth-wicket partnership between Grant Rogers and Ethan Chaplin helped the Colts set a larger total than expected.
The quartet of Mark Jenkin, Brad Stevenson, Adam Clark and Daniel Fordham were up for the more challenging task, all scoring at least 25 runs at the top of the Magpies order.
Chaplin, Patterson and Joshua McDonald provided a glimmer of hope for the Colts, causing Clunes to fall from 2/143 to 6/155. However, a clutch knock from captain Dunn got the Magpies over the line with 12 balls to spare.
Laanecoorie Dunolly 142 def Maryborough 99
An outstanding 79 from Callum Liddicoat has guided Laanecoorie Dunolly to their first win since their round one demolition of Beaufort Blue, defeating Maryborough by 43 runs.
With 10 fours and three sixes, Liddicoat carved through the Owls bowling attack to all parts of Bryants Oval.
Even with Liddicoat’s heroics, an Anthony Sequeira 4/40 placed the Owls in a winning position, bowling Laane in the 29th over for 142.
After Joshua Britten and Steven Dellavedova got rid of Mary-borough’s openers rather cheaply, Paul Jardine and Sam Ross looked on the cusp of a fruitful pairing.
However, following their dismissals for 27 and 25 respectively, Daniel Beveridge and Jake Meyer turned into Lillee and Thomson incarnate, combining for the last seven wickets as they ripped the visitors to shreds.
While Meyer finished with better figures of 4/24, Daniel Beveridge was just as destructive, taking 3/8 and two maidens from just five overs.
Carisbrook 3/185 def Beaufort Red 184
A makeshift home ground at Jubilee Oval didn’t stop a red-hot Carisbrook from cooling Beaufort Red’s four-game winning streak, moving themselves within one win of the top four with a seven-wicket victory.
With a methodical 59 from Blake Jantzen providing run support at the top of the order, Beaufort Red’s captain Craig Grant cut loose with a mesmerising 28-ball 45, consisting of five fours and two sixes.
Josh Nalder played a pivotal role in holding the visitors below 200, taking 3/30 from 7.4 overs.
Setting a lofty target of 185, Beaufort Red couldn’t have asked for a better start to their defence, with young gun Benjamin Grant bowling Brian Knight for a duck with the fifth ball of the innings.
A 77-run partnership between David Coomber and Angus Morrison got Carisbrook rolling after their early hiccup, with Morrison scoring a season-high 64.
Entering the middle with his team 3/113 during the 26th over, Brad Thompson was once again the hero for Carisbrook, complementing his game-winning 81 versus Beaufort Blue in round 11 by knocking off another Beaufort team with an unbeaten 54.
Round 14
After several finals contenders were left stunned in round 13, many would like a return to the status quo tomorrow.
Two of those teams include Beaufort Red and Maryborough, who will meet at Beaufort in a potentially crucial contest in the race for the top four.
Those two teams sit just behind MKM in third, who will look to fortify their finals spots when they welcome nearby neighbours Colts Phelans to Ron Sinclair Oval.
Fresh off their impressive performance against Maryborough, Laanecoorie Dunolly aims to stake their claim to a late finals surge with a trip to an Avoca side desperate to get back to winning ways.
Attempting to close on Avoca’s heels, Clunes will hope to enter their round 15 bye after a victory over the team that most recently had the weekend off, Beaufort Blue.
Now holding a three-game winning streak, Carisbrook will look to keep the good times rolling following their round 14 bye.