Riverside into final after win on protest

It was thought a Josh Walmsley half-century and crucial penalty points had booked Ulverstone a spot in the statewide final, before a Riverside protest post-game turned the result on its head.

Batting first, Ulverstone's innings got off to a rough start when opener Darren Banham was caught behind for a golden duck off Blues captain Alex Saunders.

Ulverstone then began to take control of the match, with opener Josh Walmsley and Anton Elhers putting on 46 in an entertaining four-over stand before Nick Garwood took a pair of wickets to help stem the flow of runs.

Walmsley took just 32 balls to reach 54 before being dismissed by Lyndon Stubbs in the 12th over.

Stubbs took two more wickets to finish with 3-28 off four overs, while Ulverstone keeper Samuel Perko finished not out on 34 to take his side's total to 7-169.

Riverside's reply got off to the best possible start with openers James Scott and Tom Garwood firing early, putting on a stand of 92 for the first wicket.

When Garwood was eventually dismissed for 41, which included four sixes and two boundaries, Riverside were cruising at 1-92 with the required run rate at less than eight an over.

Scott continued to hold up his end but lost partners regularly as the middle order failed to fire and when Patrick Mackrell was dismissed off the second ball of the final over, Riverside still needed 15 runs to win.

Some big hitting from Scott kept Riverside in the match until the final ball but it wasn't to be, as Brent Munday dismissed the opener for 82 to hand Ulverstone what they thought to be a three-run win.

However Riverside protested the timing of Ulverstone's final over with the umpires then penalising Ulverstone six runs for being one over behind time.

Riverside were then handed the provisional win, but Ulverstone have lodged a protest, to be looked into in the coming days.

The winner will meet Wellington in the final on March 6.