🏆 Sport

Sports reports: Mannum will face Mypolonga in MTCA grand final

Plus the latest from Lower Murray bowls, the Bend Motorsport Park, River Murray football and Murray Bridge horse racing and pistol shooting.

Contributed

Mar 6, 2024 — 6 min read

This post includes contributions from Derek Vanderzon and Jerry Wilson.

Dwayne Krollig is interviewed post-game after Mannum beat Wanderers in Saturday’s preliminary final. Photo: Mannum Cricket Club/Facebook.

Mannum will face Mypolonga in MTCA grand final

The Murray Towns Cricket Association would like to invite all life members, players, past and present cricket tragics, families and friends to the MTCA grand finals this weekend.

All senior grade presentations will be held at Mypolonga oval after the completion of the A grade.

An under-15 presentation will be held at the completion of the game at Tailem Bend oval.

A grade: Mypolonga v Mannum, 1pm Saturday at Mypolonga Memorial Oval
B grade: Mypolonga a Ramblers, 12.30pm Saturday at Mannum Showground
C grade: Imperials v Mypolonga, 12.30pm Saturday at Johnstone Park, Murray Bridge
Under 15s: Tailem Bend v Mannum, 8.30am Saturday and Sunday at Jaensch Park, Tailem Bend

Mannum 7/152 defeated Wanderers 151

Wanderers best: Cameron Cox 56, Sam Robinson 3/11, Craig Fidge 3/34
Mannum best: Joshua Hancock 3/22 and 41

Karoonda win first minor premiership in top division

Karoonda have secured their first ever division one minor premiership in Lower Murray bowls and, with a home semi-final booked, are in prime position to reach their first grand final after disposing of Mannum.

Murray Bridge had to be content with second spot after beating Tailem Bend, while Mannum hold on to third and RSL round out the final four after holding off Jervois in a tight finish.

At the RSL, Jervois’ Jason Sipos, David Graham, Matt Wynne and Garry Daniel overcame an eight-shot deficit to overrun Shawn Hicks, Jeremy Scannell, Trevor Mann and Grace Hameister by five shots, 22-17.

After trailing 14-6 after the 12th end, a four to Sipos changed the momentum and successive threes on the 18th and 19th ends put them four shots ahead in a strong finish.

Noel Kneebone, Ann-Marie Kuchel, Kerri Bolt and Gilllian Newell overcame Graham Fromm, Daryl Little, Derek Vanderzon and Neil Morris 22-19 in a tight finish.

Only singles were scored over the first eight ends, but a four to Kneebone right on the break put him five shots ahead.

Fromm scored the next 11 shots to momentarily take control, but a loose end gifted Kneebone six shots and levelled the scores at 16 each.

With two ends to go Kneebone had a four-shot lead, but a three to Fromm closed the gap going into the final end.

For a moment a Jervois win looked likely, but Kneebone secured a conversion for two shots and a three-shot win.

Graeme Herbert, Graham Schenke, Shane Fromm and Rodger Zarantonello trailed for most of their match against David Thiele, Karen Kneebone, Allan Wooldridge and David Newell before a six on the 17th end levelled the scores at 20-all.

Herbert then finished a little stronger for a 24-21 win, but RSL prevailed overall 65-60.

At Mannum, Karoonda were comfortable 65-45 winners, getting up on two rinks.

Rowan Zadow, Gary Zadow, Len Symonds and John Wegner easily dispatched Gavin Pfeiffer, Garry Fowler, John Howe and John McDiamid 31-14 to set up the win.

Josh Porker, Robyn Burdett, Erin O’Malley and Don Loller were five-shot winners over Terry McDonnell, Tommy Towns, Stephen Gregory and Ron Van Tijn.

Mannum picked up two points with Graham Wakefield, Lynton Jones, Graham Leathers and Gary Odgers scraping home for a two-shot win over Ian Symonds, Garry Mason, Malcolm McKenzie and Malcolm Waechter.

At Tailem Bend, Murray Bridge just edged out the home side by one shot despite being well beaten on two rinks.

David Kempe, Ben Traeger, Paul Smart and Tony Gill did just enough in their 18-shot win over Rob Hales, Stuart Rooke, Colin Baxter and Grant Byrne to cover the other two losses with their 26-8 result.

Travis Schenke, David Hoare, Kevin McDonald and Matthew Hogan comfortably accounted for Bruce Attrill, Peter Shilton, Charlie DiSanto and Brian Leckie 25-17.

Michael Thorne, Nathan Mammone, Ian Shepherd and Rob Parker were also easy winners over Darren McIntosh, Brian Traeger, Michael Ferris and Andrew Meddle.

MGs were among the racing categories in the first round of a new state championship at the Bend over the weekend. Photo: Shell V-Power Motorsport Park/Facebook.

New era begins for state-level motor sport

A new era for the South Australian Motor Racing Championship has begun with more than 150 participants competing in circuit racing competition across two weekends at the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park and Mallala.

State-level motorsport received an enormous boost in December when the Bend announced a partnership with the Sporting Car Club of SA to run the South Australian Championship.

Last weekend’s event had 156 competitors competing in the largest numbers South Australia had seen at state level since the Bend’s opening in 2018.

Categories competing included circuit Excel SA, SA prototypes, MG racing, SA Aussie racing cars, SA tin tops and super karts.

Winners included:

Circuit Excel: Aaron Oliver (trophy), Brian Smith (masters)
SA prototypes: Andrew McKee
MG racing: Trevor Lambert
SA tin tops: Brad Fox
SA Aussie racing cars: Jack Boyd

Girls practise at a recent RMFL clinic. Photo: River Murray Football League/Facebook.

River Murray girls’ teams will enter Hills Football League

Three months after the Murraylands’ first women’s football club disbanded, a new pathway has opened up for girls who want to play competitive footy.

The River Murray Football League will enter under-14 and under-17 girls’ teams in the Hills Football League in 2024.

Matches will be played on Sundays so as not to clash with netball.

The league is seeking expressions of interest from players born in 2007-09 and 2020-12, coaches, trainers, umpires and volunteers; and from clubs willing to host training and matches.

The league has run two “Fridays are for the Girls” clinics for junior female footballers over the past fortnight, with more to come at Mannum on Friday, Meningie on March 15, Mypolonga on March 22 and Ramblers on April 12.

Express interest: Contact Michelle Hill, on 0416 010 878, or your local football club.

It’ll be hot for this Saturday’s Magic Millions at Murray Bridge Racing Club. Photo: Racing SA.

Magic Millions race day will start, finish earlier

Due to the forecast of extremely hot conditions on Saturday in Murray Bridge, Racing SA wishes to advise of earlier start times for the Magic Millions race day.

Amended race times are as follows: race one 10.25am, race two 10.55am, race three 11.25am, race four 11.55am, race five 12.27pm, race six 1.02pm, race seven 1.37pm, race eight 2.12pm, race nine 2.47pm.