Underdog West Bairnsdale have capped off a magnificent season by winning the 2023/2024 Bairnsdale Cricket Association premiership from Meerlieu at the Orbost Recreation Reserve on the weekend.
The victory unifies the premiership title, with Wests also winning the one-day competition grand final, also against the Tussocks in February.
Meerlieu skipper, Rohan Blandford won the toss on Saturday and elected to bat on a wicket that looked pretty good, with local pitch experts predicting a score of 300 might be possible if one of the Meerlieu big guns could get going.
The Tussocks were quickly in trouble at 2/3 with Blandford and Matt Busch back in the pavilion, both falling to Wests skipper, Ryan Halford, who picked up his third when he had Michael Preston adjudged leg before wicket, Meerlieu reeling at 3/25.
Frankie Mostert was the only Tussocks batsmen who hit their straps, making 60 from 63 balls, including eight boundaries and a maximum.
He will be still rueing holing out to Ryan Halford at mid-wicket off the bowling of Chris Hammond, when he appeared in control and set to go big.
Several other Meerlieu players absorbed plenty of balls but couldn’t corner the bowling and keep the score ticking like Mostert, whose running between the wickets was a feature of his innings.
The Tussocks eventually succumbed for just 114 from 58 overs.
Wests bowled superbly, led by spinner, Hammond who was exceptional taking 4/25 from 17 overs, well supported by Ryan Halford, who did the damage early, picking up 3/36.
Jack Lind (1/17), Patrick Halford (1/28) and Brodie Anderson (1/7) all did their job and made it hard for Meerlieu to rotate the strike, backed by a committed, keen and competent fielding unit.
With 22 overs remaining on day one, Wests began batting knowing that they would need to keep the score ticking along and not just survive, mindful that a negative approach would play into the hands of Meerlieu.
They had a trouble-free run early, even against some quality bowling from Mostert (2/37) and Nicholas Adendorff (3/46), before disaster, struck losing three wickets in the space of eight balls in the ninth and 10th overs, the scoring reverted to 3/30.
With Brodie Anderson, Sam Watts and the classy Tom Hudson all back in the dressing room, Mitch Toms (12) and Sam Stewart (16) looked to consolidate, and were ticking along nicely when disaster struck, Stewart run out after some brilliance from Busch.
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Skipper Ryan Halford came to the crease with a mission to get on with it, getting a bonus on the first ball he faced, he quickly raced to seven after four overthrows.
By stumps, West had worked its way to 4/81 with Halford unbeaten on 24 from 24 deliveries.
Disaster struck in the first over on Sunday when Halford knicked Adendorff to Reagan Kyle, and when Stewart went shortly over, West were 6/90 and it was game on.
But Jake Anderson (27 not out) and Atley Williams (36) weren’t fazed by the situation, batting positively and confidently they knocked them off with relative ease.
With 64 overs still remaining in the day, play continued on until 7/163, before stumps were drawn, and the celebrations began.
West captain, Ryan Halford was delighted with the result and the efforts of his whole team.
“It was a great team effort, we set it up with great bowling and exceptional fielding on day one, it looked a good wicket and we were able to hold our nerve and bat positively and get the result,” Halford said.
Mostert was awarded the Davidson medal for his man of the match effort, which included 60 and two wickets.
