Two losses to start senior country week end Upper Great Southern’s A-section title hopes

Upper Great Southern Cricket Association will playoff for fifth and sixth place in A-section after securing victories on day three and four of senior country week in Perth. Two losses in the first two days ended Uppers hopes of reaching the Boan Cup final but they bounded back with wins against Albany and Districts in round three and then Busselton-Margaret River on Thursday helped them avoid the relegation final on Friday. They will face Esperance in their playofff final on Friday. In their crossover final on Thursday at Rosalie Park, Uppers ripped through Busselton-Margaret River line-up to dismiss them for 102. Grady Francis snared the first two wickets of the game, David Head returned wonderful figures of 4-32 from 15.1 overs and Bailey Parsons took three vital wickets in the middle order to put Uppers in the box seat. Despite losing Matt Trevenen (4) and Nic Corner (2) cheaply Uppers cruised to a seven-wicket win inside 20 overs. Perrin Quartermaine belted 11 fours in his unbeaten 67 from only 55 balls and Aaron Quartermaine added 24, the win sending Uppers to the fifth and sixth playoff on Friday. On Wednesday Uppers thrashed Albany and Districts by 112 runs to register their first win, as Head and Dylan Kirk starred. Kirk fell seven runs short of a century but his side made 6-215 batting first. Nic Corner made 40 and Bailey Parsons added 25no but it was a superb 93 from Kirk that did the damage. Head (4-20) and Dylan Brooks (2-17) then ran through Albany and District top order as they fell to 4-16 and then 9-44. Despite a fighting 10th wicket stand Uppers dismissed their opponents for 93. In round one on Sunday against Bunbury and Districts at Hillcrest Park, Upper Great Southern fell 104 runs short. Bunbury and Districts posted 9-232 batting first, led by 59 from Bevan Bennell, with Bailey Parsons and Rodney Ford the multiple wicket takers. Parsons ended with figures of 3-58 off 11 overs while Ford returned 2-23 from his 14 overs, five of which were maidens. Opening bowler Brock Francis injured his back and only delivered nine balls. In reply, Upper Great Southern crumbled early to 4-16 and despite a fighting 96-run stand from Dylan Kirk and Arron Quartermaine they were bowled out for 128. Quartermaine made 63 off 97 balls while Kirk added 40 but they lost 6-16 at the end. Their semifinal hopes came to an end on Monday in round two, going down to Eastern Goldfields by three runs in a thrilling finish at UWA. Eastern Goldfields made 9-241 batting first as Jace Reilly top-scored with 82. Parsons snared 4-59 from 17 overs and Aaron Quartermaine chipped in with 2-20 but their side had a big task ahead. Upper Great Southern were 3-94 in the run chase but stormed back into the contest with a 78-run stand from Kirk and Arron Quartermaine. Aaron Quartermaine fell 31 but Ford joined Kirk and they took their side towards victory adding 55. Kirk departed for 72 off 87 balls and his side required 15 to win. Heading into the last over they needed 10 to win but despite the efforts of Ford and Nick Corner they could only manage 6-238, falling four runs short of victory. Ford finished unbeaten on 36 off 34 but their title hopes came to an end. Perrin Quartermaine reached 100 games of country week cricket and was presented with his 100th cap this morning by former Upper Great Southern cricketer and current WACA chairman Tuck Waldron on Sunday.