Bowlers have a field day as Bluff Point defend 78 to stun Towns and secure finals birth

The Pointers have punched their ticket to the T20 final after downing Towns in a low scoring shootout on Friday night. A green monster of a pitch greeted both teams but stand-in Bluff Point captain Callum Joss was not lured to stray from convention, electing to bat first after winning the toss. They had the destructive opening pair of Aaron Thomas and Carl Shilling together and they ensured a short but fast start with 20 runs inside three overs before Thomas was well caught on the boundary by Callum Marquis. It wasn’t the best catch of the night however as Shilling hit one out to deep mid-wicket where Kodi Giltrow looked as if he was going to go over the boundary after grabbing it at nearly full stretch before he quickly threw it back into play for Elliott Delaney to catch it to complete a terrific relay catch. It certainly got the Towns bowling unit up and about, not that they need much encouragement, sparking a collapse of five for eight. Jayden Pinto edged behind after trying a cut to close to the body before Brady Collins had Sam Millet and Matthew Russell in consecutive deliveries. Joss was then left stranded halfway down the pitch after a “yes, no, sorry” from partner Matthew Reid allowing Collins to run to the stumps to effect the run out. It left the Pointers deep in the mire at 6-41 which became 7-52 after Sam Crouch bowled Reid after a painstaking 9 off 23 balls, beaten on the inside edge trying to cut one that was not there for the shot. Only Ryan Forrester (14) joined Thomas in making it to double figures as he and Mitchell McAuliffe put on 18 runs for the ninth wicket in the final three overs to push them to 8-78. Collins (3-17) was the pick of the bowlers while Tom Forsyth was economical, his three overs costing just nine runs. There was plenty in the pitch but the score was still below par and Towns would have been confident heading into the chase. With little in the way of scoreboard pressure they made a reasonable start with 17 made before Collins top-edged a pull off Russell to be the first to fall. Towns slumped to 3-21 with Russell (3-26) removing Crouch and Giltrow within the next five balls. Marquis (29) and Jay Comben (7) steadied before Comben edged to Aaron Joss off Antonio Paradella (3-11) at 4-50 with just 29 runs required off 11 overs. They wouldn’t get close as Marquis cut one to backward point with Josh Delacey gone after two balls caught brilliantly at gully and Dan Brimson becoming Paradella’s third victim top edging to the keeper. Towns then had their own calamitous run out with Delaney watching on from halfway down the pitch as Sam Millet threw down his stumps from point. Darcy Giltor was the last to fall caught and bowled off Thomas (2-3) completing an amazing 16-run win and securing finals with three straight wins. For defending champions Towns it was a poor display with the bat and with just one win from three they will now have to rely on other results going their way to have a chance to defend their title.