Finals end for Cats

MORTLAKE is out of the Warrnambool Moyne and District Cricket Association premier division one finals race after a heavy semi-final loss on the weekend.

Allansford-Panmure won the toss and elected to bat first at Allansford’s Uebergang Oval, with the Gators piling on 9/320 on day one from their 80 overs.

An opening partnership of 131 between Kade Parker and Shashan Silva set the tone for the home team’s impressive total.

Captain Silva top scored with 87 from 188 balls, hitting eight boundaries and a six, with Parker making 70 from 82 balls.

Damien Goddard led the Mortlake bowling with 5/52 from 11 overs, the first five wicket haul of his career.

Veteran seamer Clinton Baker took 2/58 from 14 overs, with spinner Kalhan Sineth bowling 32 overs, finishing with 1/97.

On Sunday, the Cats lost opener Adam Atwood from the first ball of the day and the side was in immediate trouble.

Constant wickets fell, the Cats all out in just 26 overs for 79.

Opener Charlie Mahncke top scored with 19 from 36 balls, with Sineth making 13 and Saman Gonawala and Craig Britten 12 each.

The season is now over for all Mortlake teams, the semi-final appearance giving the Cats their second top four finish in the WMDCA premier division (also achieving the feat in their first season in Warrnambool in the 2022/23 season).