West Bairnsdale won a low scoring Bairnsdale Cricket Association “A” grade one-day grand final against Meerlieu last Sunday at Bairnsdale City Oval.
Such is the closeness of the competition this season, the combatants in the finale weren’t decided until late last Saturday with four sides locked on four wins.
In-form sides Lucknow and Lakes Entrance narrowly missed out on a berth.
Batting was difficult at the City Oval, with runs hard to come by and bowlers dictating the game.
West won the toss and sent Meerlieu in to bat and were quickly in trouble at 5/12.
Anthony Simpson (nine from 74) was holding up an end but runs were few and far between.
The game looked set for an early ending at 9/50, but an unbroken 34-run unison between Michael Preston (33) and Simon Hunter (10) in the final 11 overs gave the Tussocks some momentum as they headed to field.
The West bowlers were miserly and very effective, led by skipper Ryan Halford (3/14), well supported by Jake Anderson (2/10) and older brother Brodie (2/21).
It took West 34 overs to knock off the total for the loss of five wickets, with Brodie Anderson leading the way with an unbeaten and stoic 36 from 117 balls.
His ability to bat throughout and anchor the innings in the end proved the difference between the two sides, as batsman after batsman struggled to master the difficult batting wicket in searing heat.
Adam Cairns was the leading wicket taker for the Tussocks with 2/16.
SWANS CLAIM “A” RESERVE
Metung Swan Reach defeated Paynesville in the “A” reserve one-day final at AJ Freeman Reserve in Paynesville.
Swans skipper Blake Herridge won the toss and sent the Gulls in to bat on a good deck.
Paynesville was in trouble early at 3/35 but a 58-run stand between Brayden Radford (40) and Logan Kyle (33) put them back in the match.
Unfortunately they were dismissed in consecutive overs and with only skipper Campbell Holland (26 not out) showing any resistance in the tail, the Gulls were all out for 145 in the 38th over, which did appear below par with a fast outfield in play.
The wickets for the Swans were shared between Forhad Haque (2/30), Adam O’Brien (2/15), Sam Tindley-Roe (2/17) and Laurie Thomson (2/16).
The Swans were quickly in trouble in the run chase, losing 2/8 in the early overs with Thomson and O’Brien both falling victim to Harry Gibbs (2/16).
But an unbroken 141-run partnership between English import Hywell Nichols and vice captain Brendan Pearce saw the Swans home with just over seven overs remaining.
Nichols was in outstanding touch making 91 from 71 balls, including seven boundaries and six spectacular maximums in a match-winning knock. Pearce was more stoic but just as important, making 39 from 108 balls including three boundaries.
