Get around him – Esperance players mob Zac Curnow after he caught the dangerous Daniel Styles for a duck last Friday. Photos: Greg Symes.
All roads lead to the Esperance Bay Turf Club on Sunday afternoon where the main race of the Club’s 2024/25 season, the $100,000 Freight Lines Group Esperance Cup over 2010 metres will be run and won.
In a strange move for a night match, Esperance captain Liam Baines opted to bowl first, but it seemingly paid dividends as the Demons found themselves in a precarious position at 8-46 in the thirteenth over.
However, a crucial ninth wicket partnership of 36 between Gary Shawcross (24 runs off 20 balls) and Kevin Johnson (11 not out off 18 balls) provided some hope, helping the Demons to set a low but ultimately competitive total of 85.
Tyson Tate was the chief destroyer for the Bulldogs with 3-16 from four overs and he also completed the run out of inform Demons batsman Alex Mahoney for a duck in the second over.
In reply, the Bulldogs could only amass 6-77 from their 20 overs, the tight bowling of Daniel Styles 2-7(4) and Scott McArthur 0-12(4) tying the Esperance batters down.
Tate (16n.o. from 21 balls) tried to lift the run rate for the Bulldogs in the latter half of the innings, in the end the equation was beyond the Bulldogs reach, effectively ending its hopes of a finals campaign.
With one qualifying fixture remaining in the season, the race for A-Grade finals places are already settled as Newtown will host Ports in the preliminary final on March 15, and Coastal Warriors will await the winner in the grand final to be played a week later.
In the B-Grade finals series to be played at the same time, the picture is a little less clear as Esperance and Newtown will play a virtual elimination final in round 12 on March 8 for the right to play Ports in the preliminary final a week later.
Tearaway leaders Coastal Warriors have easily qualified for the B-Grade grand final on March 22 and will enter the match as heavy favourites.
