Wy Yung has broken its three decade Bairnsdale Cricket Association “A” grade premiership drought, and didn’t the Tigers earn it.
They won an absolute thriller at the Lakeside Oval against West Bairnsdale, taking 3/5 in the final half an hour, winning by four runs with just five overs remaining in the epic decider.
It was a case of pure ecstasy and agony – the final wicket coming a tick over 5.30pm on Sunday afternoon following a long lbw shout from the bowling of Wy Yung veteran, Marcus Latham, against West tailender, Chris Hammond, who was struck in front attempting to sweep. Had Hammond found the middle of the bat, West would have levelled the scores and become premiers, however he missed and the Tigers capitalised.
It was a matter of centimetres.
Wy Yung exploded into celebration and West, supported by a large crowd, fell silent.
It was an epic encounter, featuring everything a player and spectator could ask for in a grand final – ebbs and flows, momentum swinging moments, run outs, dropped catches, near misses, tension, drama – it had it all.
It was a game played hard, but in great spirit.
Both teams made mistakes, but neither gave an inch and right up until the final blow it could have gone either way.
EDGE OF THE SEAT
Wy Yung posted a lower than expected total after winning the toss and batting. Had it not been for a man of the match effort from Daniel Gledhill, who scored a typically hard working 79, the Tigers wouldn’t have reached 168.
West was off to a flyer reaching 1/40 at stumps on day one after knocking over the Tigers in the 66th over. It started day two with similar momentum, striding to 73 before big blaster, David Wolfe (35 off 81) was caught at cover mistiming a drive off Stevie Bertino. At 1/73 West was in control.
Wolfe’s dismissal swung momentum in Wy Yung’s favour.
Mitch Dewar (19 off 63), who played well in his promotion to first drop in the absence of Ray Stevens, fell soon after thanks to a brilliant catch from Sean Phillipson, catching the skied drive running back from second slip.
Brodie Anderson and captain, Ryan Halford, put West back on track, Halford smashing Sean Phillipson for three boundaries in the 40th over, before the Tigers again seized the moment, Bertino running Anderson out in a pivotal moment, sending Wy Yung into a massive celebration, leaving West 4/101.
Halford, who survived an unusual catching attempt from Ben Saxon on the square leg boundary, was joined by Liam Giove, the latter who almost dragged his side home after a lengthy 145-ball stay.
However, again, just as West righted its ship, a change in bowling saw Wy Yung captain, Darcy Murray, have Halford caught at mid wicket for 34 from 50 balls, exposing his side’s tail at 5/120, still needing 49 for victory.
Atley Williams came and went, caught at second slip, again off the bowling of Murray, after being dropped three balls earlier in the gully.
Brad Daniel and Giove saw West to tea, the minor premier needing 43 for victory and Wy Yung needing four wickets.
The West pair absorbed pressure immediately after the break, pushing through 13 overs for eight runs before Daniel (two off 41) was stumped smartly by Gledhill, who grasped a bouncing Latham ball with his non- dominant left hand and whipped the bails off.
Wy Yung was again in control needing three wickets and West requiring 32 runs.
Giove (31 off 145) realised he was now the man most likely to drag his side to victory, breaking the shackles with a crisp straight drive off Latham past mid off to the fence – the first boundary in 31 overs.
It reduced the chase to 25 runs from 19 overs.
Giove would take six runs in the following eight balls, meanwhile Jack Lind survived a huge caught behind appeal and lbw shout in consecutive Bertino overs.
West was slowly clawing its way within reach.
Entering what would be the final hour, a hook shot landed Giove three runs in the first over (76th) following the drinks break, cutting the deficit to 16.
With pressure mounting on both teams, Lind picked off a Bertino waist high full toss, finding the fine leg boundary in the 80th over to push his side within 11 of victory.
A Latham maiden was followed by the reintroduction of Murray, who would also hold West scoreless.
Singles in consecutive overs to Giove reduced the chase to single digits, however with nine needed Murray found the edge of Lind (four off 33), finding the safe hands of Phillipson low to his left at second slip.
The very next over Giove’s resistance ended. He barely played a shot in anger, except for the final stages when the weight was on his shoulders, as Latham managed to induce a big drive attempt, spinning and bouncing and finding the top of Giove’s leg stump.
A gritty innings came to an end and the Tigers could sniff victory.
It was now down to one wicket or eight runs.
Chris Hammond and Jacob Zumach faced 15 balls before the former punched two in the air through the covers off Murray to get within six of victory.
Zumach nudged a single into covers from the second ball of the 89th over, leaving West five for the win.
Hammond watched the following three balls intently before seeing a scoring opportunity.
Unfortunately for Hammond his scoring opportunity was Wy Yung’s chance at victory, missing his attempted sweep, hit on the pads in front and sending Wy Yung into its biggest appeal, and most satisfying, as umpire, Eric Jamieson, raised his finger for the final wicket.
Wy Yung was, finally, the “A” grade premier.
Murray, who had played more than 200 “A” grade games and has been a long-serving captain of the Tigers, claimed his first grand final victory, and finished a mammoth spell with 4/42 from 28 overs.
Latham also put in a gigantic effort, taking 3/22 from 26 overs.
It was hard work, but ultimately the most rewarding way to win a grand final.
ETTING UP A BATTLE FOR THE AGES
On day one Brad Daniel conceded a wide with the opening delivery of the match, while Nick Carroll claimed the first runs off the bat with two from Lind’ s second delivery of the second over after Wy Yung won the toss and elected to bat.
Todd Murray was underway with a single in the third over as the Tigers attempted to settle.
Wy Yung had a cautious start before Carroll broke the shackles with the first boundary in the fifth over, and another off Daniel to start the sixth, taking the Tigers along to 0/20.
However in the eighth over West missed a golden opportunity when Lind found Carroll’s edge, dropped by wicket keeper Williams on 15 from a straight forward opportunity.
Carroll was putting the foot on the gas, blasting Lind for a six over square leg, however the very next ball was caught at short extra cover by Giove for 25 from 31 balls.
The Tigers were 1/31 as Gledhill and Murray regrouped.
After five overs of tight bowling from Lind and Daniel, Gledhill hit his first boundary to push the Tigers past 40.
A relatively even first hour saw Wy Yung reach 1/46, with West’ s bowlers unchanged.
Gledhill found the boundary once more before the drinks break, while Murray survived a chance off Lind on 12, dropped by Hammond at mid on – another chance which should have been taken.
Murray hit his first boundary in the 24th over to move to 18 as the Tigers continued to defy the efforts of Daniel and Lind.
However, Murray’s lengthy stay ended when he was strangled down the leg side, a change of ends doing the trick for Lind who had Murray caught behind for 18 off 69 balls, leaving Wy Yung 2/63.
Saxon survived a huge lbw shout first ball, but would soon get off the mark.
Gledhill found two boundaries in Hammond’s third over as he attempted to put the pressure back on West, however the re-introduction of Daniel proved a masterstroke when he bowled Saxon for five, the Tiger chopping on attempting to cut. Wy Yung was 3/77.
Bertino got off the mark first ball and Gledhill hit another boundary, but just as the Tigers again tried to regroup, Bertino was trapped lbw pushing back to a flat Hammond delivery.
Gledhill was joined by Phillipson half an hour before the tea break in what would be an important period of the match.
At 4/86 in the 36th over, West had its nose in front.
Phillipson settled in as Gledhill pushed the Tigers to three figures, in the process pushing himself to 50 with a single.
The very next over he showed intent by hitting Hammond for six over cow corner.
Phillipson, who was the semi final saviour with 97, fell just prior to tea, caught sharply by Anderson at slip for four.
Wy Yung pushed to 5/118 at tea with Gledhill unbeaten on 61 and Latham on two.
The Wy Yung pair added 28 following tea before Latham was brilliantly run out at the non strikers end by Hammond at mid on, Gledhill smashing a drive to the fielder who ran the stumps down swiftly, turning the game on its head.
Wy Yung would lose 3/6 from overs 53 to 57 with Gledhill dismissed for a classy 79 off a brilliant rising
Daniel ball, before the West seamer had Darcy Murray caught behind for a duck.
The Tigers went from 5/146 to all out for 168 in the 66th over, losing 5/24 in 13 overs, opening the door for a West victory.
Daniel claimed 4/56 from 25 overs, Hammond 3/55 from 22, and Lind 2/39 from 14.
With 14 overs to bat prior to stumps, West took the attack to Wy Yung, led by former Tiger, Wolfe, who peppered the straight boundary with four fours in the second, sixth and 12th overs, however a mix up saw Luke Henry run out in the 11th over, caught at the same end as Wolfe, who never left the non- strikers crease. Henry had a chance to make his ground following a Wy Yung fumble, but was unable to do so.
Mitch Dewar, given a promotion, unbeaten without scoring at stumps while Wolfe reached 21 from 40 balls with West needing 129 for victory with nine wickets in hand heading into day two.
Day two will be etched into Wy Yung history, while for West it can be proud of a fantastic effort, despite not coming out on the winning side.
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