Delatite booked their place in the A-Reserve grand final after a thrilling semi-final win over Ovens Valley United at Lord’s, Mansfield, in front of a vocal home crowd. Ovens Valley United batted first, but Delatite’s opening bowlers Mitch Purcell and Sam Bell immediately set the tone with disciplined line and length, giving the batsmen very few scoring opportunities. Purcell struck early with two wickets, putting the visitors on the back foot. Young guns Nick Hoskin and Cooper Martin followed the lead of the experienced pair, continuing to apply pressure and beating the bat repeatedly. Hoskin eventually broke through to leave Ovens Valley United struggling at 3/44 after 15 overs. After the drinks break, Richy Philip continued his strong form with the ball, taking 2/20, while Purcell produced a moment of brilliance in the field with a direct-hit run out before adding another wicket to finish with excellent figures of 3/32. Ovens Valley United closed their innings at 8/148, leaving Delatite confident of chasing the target on a good batting wicket. The run chase, however, got off to a shaky start. Openers Nathan Goodes and Mark O’Loughlan fell cheaply, along with Ben Martin, leaving Delatite in trouble at 3/18. Trent Berry (41) and Mitch Copey (24) steadied the innings and began the fightback, before the middle order of Berry, Purcell (17), Pat Smith (18) and Bell (14) all made valuable contributions. Despite the resistance, regular wickets meant the result remained in the balance. The match came down to the final wicket, with young pair Nick Hoskin and Cooper Martin needing eight runs from the last two overs. With three balls remaining, Hoskin struck the ball into the outfield and the pair raced back for three runs to seal a dramatic victory, sparking wild celebrations from the Delatite crowd. The composure shown by Hoskin and Martin — aged just 16 and 14 — was a proud moment for the club, guiding the side into the grand final. Delatite will now travel to Beechworth next week to take on Yarrawonga-Mulwala in the premiership decider.
