A fateful toss of the coin has ended Bayswater-Morley's brave challenge for the WACA first-grade pennant at Hillcrest Reserve at the weekend.  Bears skipper Marcus North lost the call to his South Perth counterpart Darren Wates and was duly invited to bat.  The Hillcrest track is known to be lively early on the first day and both captains were anxious to give their bowlers the first use.  Within the first 6 overs Bayswater was reeling at 3-8 and never truly recovered.

North battled doggedly to retrieve the situation, and with the support of Brendon Mills and Rob Peach, who each made 34, managed to add some respectability to the scoreboard before being dismissed for 51 when the score was on 5-132.  Kim Lawrence led a short wag of the tail with 23 before the innings closed at 167. Western Warrior speedster Ben Edmondson was the wrecker for the visitors, taking 5-39 from 16.2 overs.

In reply South Perth weathered the late afternoon attack and were poised at 4-107 at stumps with Chris Rogers unbeaten on 46 and Wates 7 not out. Sunday morning saw the chase resumed and progress without interruption, and although Rogers was run out for 72 when the scores were tied, South Perth achieved their target with five wickets to spare.  Because Melville and Claremont-Nedlands, who both finished lower on the table than Bayswater, won their matches, the Bears have now been eliminated.  However, they can be pleased with the substantial improvement over last season's lowly fourteenth place finish.

Both Bayswater's Third and Fourth grade teams have progressed to the semi-finals next week and the reigning Under-Fifteen premiers will again contest the Grand Final on Sunday having come through the entire season undefeated.

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