Two weeks ago Centrals were sitting pretty on top of the Orange District Cricket Association second grade table, 11 points clear and seemingly all but assured the minor premiership and with it passage straight through to the 2018-19 grand final.
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Now their season's over.
The red and blacks heartbreakingly had top spot snatched away by Cavaliers in the final round, while they had the bye the maroons outrighted Kinross.
Then, in last weekend's preliminary final at Riawena Oval, the Kyle Nonnenmacher-led side was bounced out of the title race by perennial contenders Orange City, ending a campaign that had so much promise after largely-superb efforts all summer.
Woes with the willow proved the catalyst for Centrals' preliminary final defeat, chasing Orange City's day one total of 175 the red and blacks could only muster 111.
Despite losing a couple of quick wickets early they were in reasonable shape at 3-65 after Will Richard (21) and Tristan Moon (37) mounted a fightback, but they both fell without adding to that score and from there only Nathan Totten (22) offered any real resistance.
With the Warriors leading by 64 the red and blacks pushed hard in a bid to flip the result though, and had the reigning premiers in some strife at 6-53 in their second dig too.
Teenager Nick Warburton came the Warriors' rescue though, making a valuable 46 and combining with Shaun Kirby (29) to stifle Centrals' comeback.
In a highlight for the Centrals side, Roshan Eiseman snared excellent game figures of 6-67, including 4-33 in the first innings, to claim his 200th wicket for the club.
The Warriors' third grade side also won through to this weekend's decider by taking down Spring Hill.
Sam Wasil snared 4-29 as Orange City skittled the Wood Ducks for 121 before Simon Livingstone (31 not out) anchored the successful chase, the greens winning by four wickets.
They'll take on minor premiers Gladstone in the decider, who reversed last week's result to knock off Waratahs.
Gav Smith (65), Luke Wilson (50 not out) and Matt Weller (58) all posted half-centuries as Gladstone piled on 5-262, before Brad Cotter took 3-25 to help restrict the sky blues to 204, despite Aquinder Dhillon's well-compiled 64.
In Centenary Cup's final regular-season round Kinross Blue took down Orange City in an early look at next weekend's decider. The students, led by Harrison Sharpe's 33, scored 143 before holding the Warriors to 8-101 in reply.
In the other game Rowan McFarlane (74) raised the bat to help CYMS finish the season on a high, they successfully chased Kinross Super Kings' 155 with three wickets in hand.
Cavaliers play Orange City at Riawena Oval in the second grade decider on from 1pm on Saturday and then 11am on Sunday while the third grade and Centenary Cup grand finals are one-day games.
Gladstone and Orange City face off in thirds from 1pm at Country Club Oval while Kinross Blue play the Warriors at Kinross Main Oval in Centenary Cup, from 1.30pm.
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
