Muddies Blue are through to the Far North Cricket semi-finals after a comprehensive 85 run win over Innisfail at the Port Douglas Sports Complex on Sunday.

Stand in skipper Dave Johnson won the toss and had no hesitation in batting on a flat, but slightly damp pitch.
 
The Muddies did not make the best of starts with Keith Taylor falling in the first over. Rob Gaul set about getting the Muddies on to the front foot with some lusty hitting and put on 40 for the second wicket with Logan Marsh before attempting one big hit too many.

Solid, if not spectacular partnerships were the order of the day with Logan Marsh, Nathan King and Sam Evans all making it into the thirties.
 
The Muddies had plenty of help from the Innisfail bowlers who contributed 32 extras including five wides in a row at one stage. This, and a ninth wicket partnership between Evans and Johnson, saw the Muddies make it through to 183/9 off their 30 overs.
 
The Blues' bowlers then set about their task of restricting the Innisfail batters rather than blasting them out on a wicket that was getting increasingly low and slow. Johnson and King opened up and bowled economically but largely without success with Johnson taking the only wicket to fall in the early stages.
 
Gary Postans grabbed a wicket in his first over in an otherwise expensive spell before Marsh and Chandra put the choke on the opposition batsmen. Line and length was the key and with the runs drying up the Innisfail batsmen started swinging but the bowling and fielding was too good.

Marsh finished with 4/12 off 5 overs while Chandra had the brilliant figures of 4/7 off 3.2 overs. Man of the Match went to Logan Marsh for his all-round contribution.

The Muddies now have a wait to see if they will finish second or third on the points table, although based on the fact that they beat United earlier in the season, they should finish in second spot and set up a potential final with the other Port Douglas team, Muddies Greens.