Sport
4 March, 2026
Strong finish from Tigers
SIMPSON finished the season with an upset win over Pomborneit in the final round of the Colac-South West premier cricket competition.
“It was a good way for the boys to finish the year, we were stoked” Simpson captain Jackson Rock said.
Rock won the toss and elected to bat first on the Port Campbell turf wicket, the Tigers bowled out in 48.1 overs for 158.
“We thought it was a really nice wicket, the scores probably didn't justify how good it was.
“There was a little bit in it for the bowlers but if you got in it wasn’t too hard to bat on.”
Opener Chathura Wadu made 36 from 56 balls, with Tanner Fratantaro, promoted to number four, holding the innings together with 38 not out from 97 balls.
“Tanner has batted beautifully all year, he's probably been our most consistent batter all year really, so it was good to see him make some runs again.
“He's been batting at number six all year, he just stabilises our innings really well, but always seems to run out of partners.”
Wicket-keeper Nick Duynhoven was the other main contributor with 27 from 37 balls at number seven.
“Duynhoven’s someone who made some runs in division two last year and has every shot in the book and lovely technique, he just hasn't put it together in the ones this year.
“We know he's got it, it was good to see him make a few runs and, and show to himself that he can make runs in the top grade.”
While wanting a higher score, Rock felt Simpson could compete with 158 on the board.
“The ground wasn't super quick but it was small.
“We were probably hoping for 200 but you're hoping for that every week.”
Opening bowler Nick ‘Whopper’ Harding crashed through the Pomborneit top order, taking four of the first five wickets as the Bulls slumped to 5/50.
“Whopper ran through them early and bowled really well.
“It was probably our best bowling performance for the whole year really, everyone backed up each other really well.”
But with Rock’s experience for Cobden playing big games against Pomborneit in previous years, the Simpson skipper knew the game was far from over.
“We were happy with how we were playing but, playing against Pomborneit in cricket for a long time, with Senda and Larry (Tharaka Sendanyake and Lahiru Fernando) still there, they were still right in the game.
“We weren't going to be too happy until we got one of them out.”
It was Rock himself, in his 10th and final over, who got the vital wicket of Sendanayake for 47 to have Pomborneit at 8/129.
Thomas Weel came on and got the last two wickets to see the Bulls bowled out for 137, giving the Tigers their third win of the season.
Harding led the bowlers with 4/34 from 10 overs, Rock took 1/34 from 10 with Wadu and Weel takeing two each.
Simpson finish the season in 13th place in the 15 team competition.
“I definitely reckon after Christmas we showed that we belonged in the top grade, we weren't there just making up numbers, in the last four weeks we really took it up to some quality teams.
“We had a bad game against Alvie, but knocking off Birregurra, doing really well against Bookaar and then knocking off Pomborneit is a nice way to finish the year to show the boys that if we stick at it next year and start the year how we finished this year, we could sneak a few more wins and really push for that top eight position.”
Simpson’s division two were eliminated from the finals after a four wicket loss to Irrewarra at CSC Oval.
Electing to bat in their elimination final, Simpson were all out in 30.4 overs fro 127.
Opener Joe Cain top scored with 37 from 53 balls, with Jay Bowman making 30 from 41.
Irrewarra passed the score in the 26th over for the loss of six wickets to end Simpson’s season.
Connor Poole took 3/30 from 4.4 overs, with Tom Marshall, Kye baines and Shaun Baines taking a wicket each.
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