The Lakers met reigning premier Echuca at Nagambie Recreation Reserve on Sunday, the second week in a row they faced the Jessica Cox-led outfit, and were sent in to bat after losing the toss.
It seemed as though whatever decision Echuca made, however, would have been the wrong one, such was Nagambie’s dominance on the day.
From the first ball of the match, the Lakers flexed their muscle, with Kayla Shepherd at the top of the order belting an aggressive yet unbeaten 35 off 30 balls, while skipper Kait Carracher (31 not out off 30) and Breanna Davison (20 off 13) followed suit with efforts that came at better than a run a ball.
That trio helped power Nagambie to an imposing total of 3-131, a figure the Lakers bowlers made sure was never in jeopardy.
While Chloe Moyle provided some fight in Echuca’s chase, contributing 22 runs, no other Echuca player made it to double digits in the face of some suffocating Nagambie bowling.
Davison (2-15), Karracher (2-17) and Shepherd (2-5) were again the culprits, each taking two wickets, while Kelsey Abbott (1-4) and Madison Albers (1-5) both bowled a challenging line and length to walk away with wickets of their own.
Echuca was never able to establish momentum in the chase with wickets falling at regular intervals, bowled out for just 76 to see the end of its premiership defence.
It was a similar story in the other semi-final, which saw Mooroopna dominate Shepparton Youth Club United to book its place in the final as it looks to avenge the heartbreak of last season.
The Cats won the toss and elected to bowl and, while wickets weren’t quite as easy to come by as they were for the Lakers in their clash, Mooroopna’s bowlers restricted Shepparton Youth Club United to just 3-73 from its 20 overs.
It was a procession with the bat, as the Cats cruised to the required total inside 11 overs for the loss of just one wicket, setting up the mammoth first-versus-second grand final.
Nagambie will look to deny the Cats grand final glory after a perfect season for the second year in row this Sunday at 11am, when the two sides face off at Cooma Recreation Reserve.
