By Lachlan Onions
EAST GAMBIER 10/170 d SOUTH GAMBIER 10/133
EAST Gambier roared back to life with a 37-run win in the semi-final of the Barber Shield on the weekend.
The Bulldogs batted first on Saturday and survived the early dangers of the new ball.
James Sullivan was the first to depart with the score at 20, before Ben Hentschke and Aiden Creasey looked to thwart any momentum and prevented a collapse similar to what occurred a week earlier at the same venue.
Camron Jorgensen broke through the partnership and sent Ben Hentschke on his way before Robbie Drenthen dismissed East’s main man Dion Stratford to make it 3/56.
Alex Hentschke provided some resistance but was dismissed by Drenthen in the 42nd over to make it 4/83.
Peter Kerr was next in and failed to make it through the over as he was adjudged LBW and Drenthen had his third wicket of the game.
Creasey continued to battle on and formed handy partnerships with Ben Robinson and Alex Hill before he eventually departed for 46 off 153 balls.
Hill and Marc Roberts added some late runs for the hosts before they were bowled out for 170 to leave the game hanging in the balance headed into Day 2.
Drenthen was the pick of the bowlers with 3/41, while Elwood Geary and Jorgensen both claimed two wickets each.
South could not have asked for a much worse start to Day 2 as both openers were dismissed in the fifth over by Alex Hentschke to make it 2/18.
With Drenthen back in the sheds after a quick-fire 16, the pressure was on Adam Kuhl and Stephen Easterbrook to turn the contest around.
Pace bowler Liam Turley broke through to dismiss Easterbrook and the middle order soon followed.
Jed Sims was bowled by Turley for a six-ball duck before Adam Kuhl was run-out for 19 to make it 5/39.
With over 130 runs needed for victory, David Vine and David Somerfield needed to pull off what would be a miraculous recovery for South.
Ben Hentschke’s spin bowling proved to be the unravelling of Vine as he was bowled for nine runs before Geary departed not long after for a duck to make it 7/65.
Michael Sims came to the crease and fought hard against the odds while Somerfield kept the runs ticking over.
After a 37-run eighth-wicket partnership, Michael Sims was eventually dismissed by Turley for 13 off 67 balls.
Jorgensen was next in at number 10 and was another to fall to Ben Hentschke as he was stumped by Alex Hill for a duck to make it 9/107.
East needed just one wicket to win, while South still trailed by 64 runs.
Somerfield looked to absorb as much of the strike as possible and began to increase his strike-rate.
After a commendable fight, Alex Hentschke eventually had the last laugh and dismissed the Demons batter for 67 to seal a 37-run win for the hosts.
East will now head to Frew Park on Saturday and Sunday to take on West in the Barber Shield grand final this weekend.
