Geelong City skipper Richard Oliver's hopes of emulating Worcestershire team-mate Joe Leach's T20 success with North Canberra Gungahlin have been thwarted.
Oliver's side needed to overcome leaders Murgheboluc in their final group match in the Gelong Advertiser Cup Division One T20 encounter to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals.
But they went down by just four runs in a rain affected match and finished seventh in the 12 team table after winning two and losing three of their five matches.
Murgheoluc were put into bat after Oliver won the toss and they were restricted to 67-7 in their seven overs with prolific opener Glen Talarico scoring 41.
Oliver and fellow opener Steve Anastasiu had both scored half centuries in the win over St. Joseph's which had kept Geelong's hopes alive.
But both fell cheaply including Oliver for two and, despite 41 from J. Driver who was the last player to be dismissed, they closed on 63-6 and fell agonisingly short.
Murgheboluc have been joined in the last four by Grovedale, South Barwon and East Belmont.
Oliver's county colleague Leach had won the Konica T20 Cup with the Northies on Sunday.
Geelong Cricket Association
Geelong Advertiser Cup
Division 1 T20 FINAL TABLE
P W2 W1 D L1 L2 WL RS WT RA PTS %
1 Murgheboluc 5 0 4 0 1 0 32 546 35 527 24 1.1332
2 Grovedale 5 0 4 0 1 0 25 634 31 539 18 1.4586 A
3 South Barwon 5 0 l 0 2 0 32 645 39 655 18 1.2001
4 East Belmont 5 0 3 0 2 0 33 618 37 642 18 1.0793
5 North Geelong 5 0 3 0 2 0 40 707 34 621 18 0.9677
6 St Josephs 5 0 3 0 2 0 28 608 24 596 18 0.8744
7 Geelong City 5 0 2 0 3 0 24 543 31 551 12 1.2729
8 Geelong West 5 0 2 0 3 0 21 559 25 547 12 1.2166
9 Newtown & Chilwell 5 0 2 0 3 0 28 544 33 678 12 0.9456
10 Leopold 5 0 2 0 3 0 38 580 36 600 12 0.9158
11 Lara 5 0 1 0 4 0 39 640 28 633 6 0.7259
12 Bell Post Hill 5 0 1 0 4 0 36 571 23 606 6 0.6020
WL = wickets lost, WT = wickets taken, RS = runs scored. RA = runs against.
