Central Queensland Seamers will defend their Country Challenge title after making the decider yet again. They will play last year’s grand finalist and 2022 champion, Far North Fusion after both teams dominated their semi-finals after qualifying second in their pools.
Sunshine Coast Scorchers and Mackay/Whitsundays Nitros both dominated the early rounds to finish undefeated and atop their respective pools but they were unable to perform in the game that counted and bow out in the semi-final stage for a second straight year.
Far North have always been hard to beat on their home track and started their tournament with a strong win over perennial contenders the North Queensland Monsoons thanks largely to Marcus Berryman (52* off 38, 1/7) and Brenton Edwards (42* off 16, 1/21).
But when they lost a last ball thriller to the Sunshine Coast Scorchers they faced a high stakes game against Darling Downs Suns where the winner would make the semi and the loser would bow out.
Matty Wilkins played a determined knock scoring 70 (60) to pace Far North to a competitive total of 6/153. Darling Downs had Aidan Watterson nursing a quad injury and he was sent in to try and spark a top order flurry of boundaries but good bowling from Seth McGinty (3/11 off 4) saw the run-chase splutter and they were never really in the game finishing on 8/104. Far North Fusion once again booked a spot in the Gabba final for the third straight year.
In Pool B the Northern teams both locked in their semi-final spot before they faced off in the last game of the group stage to decide who would be seeded first or second. Mackay/Whitsundays batted first and opener Darryn Dyer continued his steller carnival with a stunning 102* from 64 deliveries. The Nitros then ripped through the defending champions for 76 to cement themselves as the top seed.
The big win for the Nitros meant they had to beat the home-town side, Far North Fusion who finished second in pool A. the Nitros batted first and Darryn Dyer was the big wicket, having scored back to back centuries in his past two games but he couldn’t repeat the heroics, Seth McGinty rattled his castle for 17.
After Nitros captain Sam Vassallo went for 30 and Shaun Austin departed for 35 the Fusion were able to restrict Mackay/Whitsundays to 5/125.
The Nitros needed early wickets but Far North’s opening batters Jake Roach and Aidan Firman started strong hitting the boundary often as they chased down the total without losing a wicket in the 14th over.
Sunshine Coast Scorchers were the form team in the group stages and were expected to be hard to beat in the semi final. Central Queensland Seamers never gave them a look-in, knocking their top-order over to have them reeling at 5/15. The Scorchers battled hard to get to 9/89 but Seamers vice-captain Jeff Case (25* off 41) was able to anchor the run-chase and Brent Hartley (40 off 31) did the damage to chase the total in 16 overs to book their spot in the Gabba final.
The final will be held at the Gabba on Sunday the 29th of December before the Brisbane Heat Big Bash game against the Sydney Sixers.
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