Friday, 29 March 2024
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Brilliant Blues fly the flag

Brilliant Blues fly the flag

Orbost defeated minor premier, Wy Yung, by five wickets on Sunday at Lucknow’s Hudson-Alvin Oval to secure its first “A” grade Bairnsdale Cricket Association two-day premiership since 2011/12 – and it did so emphatically.

The Blues were simply all over the Tigers for the vast majority of the contest, handing them their first loss of a remarkable season on the biggest occasion, meaning Wy Yung’s premiership drought will extend to 32 years.

In summary, the Blues bowled, fielded and batted better.

All rounder Dylan Jordan was awarded man of the match. He claimed 4/32 off 14.5 overs on day one and contributed an attacking 33 not out yesterday to see his side home.

Mikael Hulme’s impact was also crucial for the Blues. He picked up 4/47 off 17 overs – the crucial top order scalps of Daniel Gledhill, David Wolfe, Ray Stevens and Ben Saxon and made 21 coming in as the night watchman on day one.

Wy Yung could not build a foundation after being sent in on what was a soft, grassy wicket.

Gledhill and Sean Phillipson all but saw off the new ball before Hulme swung the momentum.

Wolfe and Saxon attempted to pick up the pieces, however dominoes continued to fall in Orbost’s favour largely due to tight bowling and good fielding. Pressure was always building.

Eventually the Blues wrapped up Wy Yung’s innings less than 20 overs after the tea break on day one – the run out wicket of Tigers captain, Darcy Murray, proving pivotal – all out for 146.

While the wicket appeared difficult to bat on, Orbost was not taking a cautious approach, Jayden Price setting the tone taking seven of Murray’s first over of the innings.

The runs continued flowing as young gun, Curtley Farley – who a week earlier batted in the middle order and was out for a golden duck in the Blues’ semi final win – got recalled to the top of the order and stepped up to the challenge.

Farley played confidently against spinner, Marcus Latham and pushed to 43 not out at stumps on day one.

Price contributed 26, in the process putting Wy Yung on the back foot.

Wy Yung claimed the major wicket of Lee Thomason in the 20th over, Murray inducing a cut shot attempt, finding the edge where the safe pair of Phillipson’s hands grasped a high opportunity at third slip.

Farley and Mikael Hulme got to stumps at 2/85, already taking half the total out of the equation.

Wy Yung needed early wickets on day two and Murray provided one, finding Farley’s edge with the first ball of the second over.

Kieran Vickery added five before edging to slips, however Hulme was stoic and Jordan played with freedom as runs continued to flow.

Seventeen overs into day two and the game was in Orbost’s hands, Alex Hulme sealing victory with a whack to the mid wicket boundary off Marcus Latham.

The Blues had done it.

SLOW START

The slight drizzle of rain around East Gippsland meant a delayed start to the “A” grade grand final on Saturday between Wy Yung and Orbost at the Hudson-Alvin Oval.

Orbost won the toss on a wet wicket with captain, Luke Endley, opening the bowling.

Straight away runner-up in the Bairnsdale Advertiser Cricketer of the Year, Sean Phillipson, was defending on the front foot.

It was a good start by Endley with the final two balls of the opening over seeing two big lbw shouts, with Phillipson looking nervous coming off a golden duck in the previous week’s semi final.

Jack Reidy opened from the other end and struggled to find his mark as Daniel Gledhill brought up the first boundary for the Tigers, cutting the
ball powerfully over backward point for four.

The score was 0/4 after the first two overs and soon the Tigers would look settled.

Phillipson got off the mark with a lofted drive for two on the 13th ball of the game and two balls later he found a single, once again through the covers as he adjusted to the soft wicket.

While Phillipson and Gledhill looked comfortable, The Blues did let slip an opportunity for their first wicket when Dylan Jordan dropped a difficult chance at square leg, Phillipson smoking a pull shot off Reidy.

Phillipson found his first boundary from an edge just three balls later through the gully region as he moved into double figures by using soft hands.

The pair were ticking along nicely at 0/32. Endley was bowling tight while Reidy began to stray, prompting a change in the bowling.

GLEDHILL GOES

Gledhill was poised through the opening 10 overs and looked set to strap in for the afternoon until a change in the bowling brought about a rash shot.

Mikael Hulme was introduced, the seamer having bowled more than 10 overs pounce during the home and away season.

Hulme stepped up his output in the semi final with 18 overs, however he saved his best until last.

He immediately had Gledhill on the attack, however the Tigers’ opener spooned the ball to Jayden Price at short cover, out for 14 just as his side appeared to have got through the new ball.

Gledhill had been removed the exact same way against West Bairnsdale in round 11.

While the Tigers made adjustments for the wicket, so had Orbost and suddenly infielders were marginally deeper for the mistimed shot.

Endley soon induced this type of shot with the aggressive Phillipson (18) hitting a wayward off drive to a diving Kieran Vickery at a deeper mid off a loose shot that wasn’t required having just lost his fellow opener.

It was a big wicket for the Blues and prompted a major celebration and some words with the dismissed batsman.

The Blues were back at 2/32.

WOLFE GRITS TEETH

David Wolfe (27) and Ben Saxon (31) were now at the crease for Wy Yung and looked solid from the outset.

Saxon was given a life early when Reidy dropped him at point off the bowling of Hulme, however thereafter he was much more assured and poised.

Wolfe, on the other hand, went about his attacking business as usual and blasted Endley out of the attack in the 17th over, hitting him for three boundaries, taking 15 runs off the over as the Tigers moved to 2/54.

The runs kept flowing from Wolfe’s bat – his straight hitting spectacular – as his side reached drinks at 2/69.

Jordan bowled the first over after drinks and things didn’t get off to an ideal start for the all rounder with Saxon jumping onto a short wide delivery, piercing it through backward point for four.

HULME STAMPS HIS MARK

In desperate need of a breakthrough, Hulme was the man again, removing Wolfe caught behind for 27 in the 24th over.

Hulme was able to find a little extra bounce as Wolfe attempted to get his hands out of the way, only to catch his gloves with wicket keeper, Lee Thomason, swallowing an easy catch.

The Tigers were now 3/85 and all of a sudden Orbost gained confidence.

Ray Stevens was the next man in for Wy Yung and got off strike immediately with a flick to fine leg, however, the veteran’s stay didn’t last long when he edged Hulme into the safe hands of Endley at second slip.

Hulme had his third victim and was now really starting to trouble the Wy Yung middle order.

The Tigers were in trouble at 4/87.

Todd Murray came to the crease and quickly got on the front foot in defence, attempting a rebuild for Wy Yung, but Hulme had his fourth when Ben Saxon departed shortly before the tea break for 31, mistiming a pull shot to mid on –almost a carbon copy of his semi final dismissal against West Bairnsdale and all of a sudden the Blues were on top at 5/98.

Marcus Latham fell without troubling the scoreboard as Jordan had him caught behind – his second duck in his past two grand final appearances.

Endley returned with his spinners for the final over before tea and the Tigers almost lost their seventh wicket.

Endley was able to get a ball to jump off a length to Todd Murray, the ball going through to the keeper with a noise and prompting a huge appeal from the Blues, who had almost all gathered around the bat.

The appeal was turned down by umpire Don Haley and the Tigers got to the tea break 6/114 after 37 overs.

After afternoon tea Jordan was the pick of the bowlers for the Blues as he claimed three of the four wickets required.

It took just four overs after the break for Orbost to get their seventh wicket with Curtley Farley running out Darcy Murray for 13 to leave the score at 7/122 after 42 overs. It was a perfect throw from the youngster to wicket keeper, Thomason, and proved a valuable wicket.

Three overs later Jordan started his clean up of the tail, claiming second for the game by trapping Ben Channing lbw for five.

The Tigers were scrambling as Jordan ran through Daniel Dalton (3) and Luke Henry (4) in quick succession to leave them all out, defending 146.

OFF TO A FLYER

Orbost got off to a fast start with the bat, Jayden Price scoring seven off Darcy Murray’s first over with Farley by his side.

Farley looked the goods dealing with Latham’s off spin as he used the sweep shot regularly to rotate the strike.

The Blues were 48 without loss – the ideal start until Stevens got the better of Price on 26.

Price showed aggression with the bat but was lucky to survive early as he stepped down the track to Latham a deliver that passed the outside edge with Channing missing a stumping opportunity.

Thomason was unable to continue his strong form of late as Darcy Murray had him caught in the slips by a stretching Phillipson for 13.

At 2/81 off 25 overs Farley (43no) and Mikael Hulme (1no) resumed on day two for the Blues.

TIGERS FIGHT

Phillipson bowled the first over of day two, conceding two runs with both batsmen adding to their overnight score.

However, Farley (44) was sent back to the sheds on the first ball of the next over, bowled by Darcy Murray, nicking off a good length to Channing.

The Tigers were on early as both Phillipson and Murray made life hard for the Blues.

Vickery’s stay didn’t last long with Phillipson having him caught at third slip by Stevens for five. The Tigers were sensing a fightback.

At 4/94 the game was still up for grabs.

Mikael Hulme continued to play his shots and the Tigers continued to press hard with the ball, but their sloppy fielding allowed Orbost to rotate the strike with ease.

Jordan looked comfortable and brought up his first boundary in the 33rd over with a beautiful cover drive off Darcy Murray.

Jordan was dropped two balls later by Saxon at short cover – an extremely difficult chance such was Jordan’s power which in the end proved a costly missed opportunity.

The Tigers’ chances of winning were slipping fast with the Blues needing just 38 runs to win.

In need of wickets, Wy Yung brought on their spearhead, Latham. Even in the field things weren’t going the way for Wy Yung with Saxon being hit in the head at short cover, drawing blood and seeing him leave the field. He later returned with a bandaged forehead.

Despite the break in play, Murray was able to claim the wicket of Mikael Hulme in the 38th over for 21, but it would be the last taste of success for the Tigers as Jordan and Alex Hulme batted their side to victory with 23 runs to get.

Jordan excelled with the field up and was able to blast a pull shot through square leg for four.

It didn’t take long for the Blues to seal victory with Alex Hulme lofting the ball over mid wicket for four to seal a brilliant, upset, premiership win.

PICTURED: Orbost secured the “A” grade Bairnsdale Cricket Association grand final after defeating Wy Yung by five wickets at the Hudson-Alvin Oval yesterday. Led by player of the match, Dylan Jordan, the Blues chased down the Tigers’ total of 146 in the early stages of day two to secure its first premiership since 2011/12. Jordan claimed 4/32 with the ball and steered his side home with an unbeaten 33 not out.


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