Sport
6 March, 2026
Top four at stake as Carisbrook host Bulls
The fates of Carisbrook and Beaufort will culminate in one final showdown this weekend, as Carisbrook has one last chance to gun down the team they have been persistently pursuing this season and complete a remarkable chase down.
Let’s set the stage. While this season finale is a winner-takes-all affair, the deck is heavily stacked in Beaufort’s favour thanks to recent results.
With fourth-placed Beaufort holding a nine-point advantage over the trailing Carisbrook, only an outright victory would allow last season’s runner-up to leapfrog the Bulls.
Any other result, including a first-innings defeat, would secure a finals berth for Beaufort, where they would play Laanecoorie Dunolly or Colts Phelans in the semi-final.
While Beaufort has certainly improved its predicament with season-defining wins against the Colts and Maryborough, Carisbrook has had numerous chances over the last three rounds to make a finals return much simpler.
If Carisbrook could’ve taken one more wicket in their round 13 win over Clunes or scored a measly 20 or 13 more runs in defeats to Colts and Maryborough, they would’ve only needed to defeat Beaufort to clinch their finals spot.
While lady luck has arguably played a role, especially with the unfavorable batting conditions they had as they chased down the Owls’ 196 last Saturday, Carisbrook did themselves no favours with their best chance to cut Beaufort’s advantage.
Starting the day needing 159 runs to defeat the Owls, Carisbrook fell just short after losing all 10 of their wickets when an aerial shot was caught by a Maryborough fielder, a statistic which would have Sir Donald Bradman shaking his head.
However, those missed opportunities shouldn’t discredit the exceptional form Carisbrook has been in during the second half of the season, which has placed them in advantageous positions.
After winning one of their first seven games, Carisbrook’s turnaround kick-started with a rousing eight-run triumph against the Bulls thanks to a classy 83 from Elliot Cullinan and a four-wicket haul from Dean Nalder.
For Carisbrook to extend their season, they will need to make quick work of a Beaufort batting lineup that has an extra kick of confidence after lasting 78 overs in their recent defeat to Laane.
Jarrod Blandford, who missed the most recent meeting between these two sides, continues to rocket up the batting charts. The silky left-hander is now third with 448 runs at an average of 56 after an A grade season-high 80 in his last knock.
Blandford will be the key wicket for Carisbrook’s bowling attack, consisting of Brayden Wright, Jordan Hooper, Nalder, Atticus Cullinan and Axel Purcell, as will Bulls captain Brandon Walsh after hitting 77 as part of a 99-run stand with Blandford last weekend.