Brock Larance and Henry Railz were again outstanding for ACT/NSW Country but their side fell short of a place in the Cricket Australia Under 19 National Championships.
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Larance top-scored with 74 in Wednesday's semi-final meeting with NSW Metro before Railz jagged 4/22 from six overs as his side attempted to defend 9/230.
But those efforts, plus a half century from Bathurst junior Nic Broes, proved not enough as NSW Metro won with four wickets and 16 balls to spare.
ACT/NSW Country now meet Victoria Metro in Thursday's third-place play-off.
While it isn't the honour of playing for a national title at the famed WACA ground, Larance and Railz go into the final match of the carnival knowing they have proved up to the standard.
After a somewhat slow start to his campaign, Larance has found top form late on and followed up his 97 on Monday with another fine knock in Wednesday's semi.
Batting at four, Larance came in when his side slumped to 2/17 early but soon combined with Broes to get things back on track.
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The two Western Zone products put on 89 for the first wicket before Broes fell for 55 from 94 balls.
Larance kept things ticking over and just as it appeared he'd have another chance to crack triple figures at the elite tournament he was removed for 74.
The CYMS young gun's knock came from 100 balls and featured just the two fours.
ACT/NSW Country posted a competitive total but after taking one early wicket in the field failed to make any real inroads into the NSW Metro lineup.
Lahlan Hearne (81) and Jack Attenborough (63) added 112 for the second wicket in a partnership which took the game away from their rivals.
The city side controlled the rest of the run chase - despite the best efforts of Railz - and moved into the decider.
Left-arm seamer Railz was the seventh bowler thrown the ball but made the greatest impact, working his way through the Metro middle order.
It gave his side some brief hope but NSW Metro got the job done and booked a grand final date with Victoria Country.
Railz's four-wicket haul continued his fine all-round championships and he, much like Larance and Broes, will be out to finish on a high on Thursday and further push their case for a spot in the national side which will contest next year's under 19 World Cup.
The third Dubbo junior in the squad, Tom Atlee, didn't feature with the bat or ball in the semi-final.
The third-placed play-off starts at 12.30pm (AEDT).
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
