Sport
17 March, 2023
Caboolture Div 1 cricketers eye grand final glory
Caboolture and Maroochydore will continue their rivalry in Sunshine Coast Div 1 cricket as they square off in the grand final at Caboolture Sports Cricket Club this weekend.
The match could even enter a third day, with Saturday March 25 scheduled as a full day’s play rather than a rest day.
With up to 96 overs to be bowled each day, Caboolture captain John Flew said, “That is a lot more cricket than teams normally play, and you never know where the game will end up if it is still alive going into that third day.
“Our boys are prepared to fight it out for the whole three days if that is what it will take.”
Caboolture’s most recent two-day premiership in Div 1 was four years ago, with Glen Batticciotto and Preston White the only players from then who are lining up in this year’s decider.
Flew meanwhile played in Caboolture’s premierships in the two years leading up to 2018-19, before taking a break in 2018-19.
Caboolture has finished runner-up in the past three grand finals which were all affected by covid or wet weather. Last year the first two days were washed out before host team Tewantin-Noosa batted long enough on the reserve day to foil Caboolture.
Last weekend’s semi-finals were disrupted by rain, with ladder leader Caboolture having a draw with the fourth-placed Gympie while the second-placed Maroochydore was too strong for the third-placed Tewantin-Noosa.
A draw was enough for Caboolture to reach the decider, after Caboolture was poised to claim a first-innings victory on home soil.
In Div 6, Caboolture and Nambour will go head-to-head in another cricket grand final at Caboolture Sports Cricket Club this weekend.