Yarrawonga Mulwala B Grade went down by 16 runs to Benalla Bushrangers in the 2024/25 grand final last Saturday at home at the Stan Hargreaves Oval.
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Veteran Lakers Captain Gary Browning won the toss and sent Benalla Bushrangers in to bat and restricted the Bushrangers to 111 off 30 overs for the loss of 6 wickets.
A handy third wicket partnership of 40 runs set the Bushrangers up for a competitive total of 111.
Warhorse Browning was most economical with the ball, conceding just one run from his 6 overs and capturing 2 early wickets, those of the opener and first drop batsman.
Lakers Geoffrey Montgomery claimed 3/29 from his 6 overs, Lachlan Phillips snared 1/19 from his 6 overs.
In reply Lakers were off to a solid start with captain Browning and vice-captain Hudson Gillies putting on 29 for the opening partnership.
Wickets fell for the Lakers who had the job in front of them.
Fortunately Gillies compiled an excellent 51 runs from 83 balls which included 3, and the sides only, boundaries in the innings.
Gillies fell with the score on 8/91 which left the Lakers 20 runs in eras.
Lakers couldn’t muster just 2 more runs to be dismissed for 95 off 29.3 overs.
Jack Connell and Browning with 12 runs and 11 runs respectively were the only batsmen with Gillies to make double figures.
Four Bushrangers shared 10 wickets.
C Grade giant slayers
Not since David picked up his slingshot has there been a bigger upset in a seemingly mismatched contest.
Waking up to gloomy grey skies and light precipitation, it was not the ideal start to the day of the Grand Final.
Up against the undefeated Beechworth-Stanley Cricket Club, who held the whip hand courtesy of their top of the ladder status, a wash out would automatically hand them the Max Bussell Shield under the W&DCA playing conditions.
The Lakers would need everything to go right from here on in.
Arriving at the North Wangaratta Sportsground brought new hope as the rain had stopped and the field was deemed fit for play by the umpires and the final would start on time.
Winning the toss, the Timber Cutters elected to bat first and set a target for the Lakers to chase.
Jack “Huddo” Hudson opened proceedings with the new ball and immediately bothered the batters with movement and lift that made things uncomfortable.
From the Gun Club end, Kade “Two Names” Michael bowled with nip and accuracy, complimenting Huddo and not giving the batters any loose ones.
It was a tense arm wrestle for the first few overs, as a final should be, but with no boundaries and no wickets, the game was on a knife’s edge.
As Michael got into his fourth over, the breakthrough came. Perhaps frustrated or perhaps impatient with the lack of runs, an elaborate swish of the blade across the line sent the bails flying and left the wood pile in a mess. First blood to the Lakers, 1 for 18.
The batters were extremely cautious against some very tight and tidy bowling, not very keen on the singles and this suited the Lakers just fine.
After six superb overs, with 2 maidens and conceding only 13 runs, Huddo handed over to Ben “Jake the Pake” Pickering and the game took an interesting turn.
Pickering found the edge to Hudson in the gully and the grade’s season leading run scorer had to depart. 2 for 27.
Michael wrapped up his compliment of eight overs on the trot, 8 straight, returning 1 for 17 and one maiden, to allow the 17year old Will “Murph and the Magic Tones” Murphy his turn with the ball.
Pickering again found the edge and again Hudson clasped a red hot, low down one hander to send a shudder through the Timber Cutters. 3 for 36.
Drinks were taken at the end of the 18th over and signalled the halfway mark of the innings, with a quick check of the scorebook revealing 40 runs, like Pickering, the Lakers grew a leg.
‘Murph and the Magic Tones’ produced a pop-up drive to Pickering at cover and the noose was tightening. 4 for 46.
Then a small partnership got going, that proved to be the best of the innings for the Timber Cutters, but still no boundaries and the field made the batters earn every single run.
Needing to bring things back to the underdogs, Murphy weaved his magic and skittled the woodwork, and this set the collapse in motion. 5 for 70.
Pickering took out the side-by-side Remington and went bang, bang.
The first, a tickle to “Golden Gloves” Damian Leeburn and the second, in consecutive deliveries, a leave by the Timber Cutters new batter saw off peg knocked back. 7 for 74.
Pickering bowing out after his allotment of eight overs with the figures of 4 for 20 and one maiden.
Shaun “Home Duties” Hawking was making the ball dance and made the batter look like they had two left feet, so it was no surprise when soon the stumps were unsettled again. 8 for 75.
Murphy again produced another pop-up catch, this time to Hawking at mid-off. 9 for 79.
Murph bowled out for his 7 overs, carding 3 for 21 in a final.
The ball was now thrown to Lucas “Happy” Pickering and he hasn’t let his Skipper down all season.
Taking a wicket every time that he has bowled, as a 13 year old claimed 14 C Grade wickets and Saturday was no different.
He bowled the last batter to have 1 for 4 next to his name in a final. 10 for 84.
For the first time in season 2024-2025, the Beechworth-Stanley behemoth had been bowled out and humbled to a score below 100 with four overs unused thanks to the Lakers magnificent bowling cartel.
The grey skies continued into the Lakers turn at the crease, with confidence up and looking to chase down the total, the Lakers took their aim and fired away.
Mathew “Blocka” Wilson looked to get things going but got caught at cover. 1 for 2 was not what the doctor ordered.
The 14-year-old Darcy “Rising Star” Hargreaves followed soon after, bowled. 2 for 2.
The Timber Cutters were whooping and a hollering. They were talking loud but not saying much.
Hawking and Vagg were both new at the crease and started to push the singles and run spritely between the wickets.
Then the top team in the competition rose to the occasion and removed Hawking, caught by the keeper and Vagg’s lofted on-drive was eventually juggled.
4 for 14 and the scorecard started to match the gloomy skies, but the Lakers dressing sheds were upbeat and confident, despite been shot down, they won’t fall.
Pickering and Leeburn came together and produced a 29-run partnership that steadied the ship and erased half the run chase.
After some patient batting, Pickering departed not getting it in the middle and the catch was completed at mid-on.
Charlie “Jamo” Jamison strutted to the centre and joined Leeburn. It was a partnership that was made in heaven. The pair withstood the Timber Cutters bullets as they ricocheted and fired away.
After consolidating the innings and weathering the attack, the pair were bulletproof with nothing to lose, it was the Timber Cutters who had further to fall.
Leeburn was simply spectacular.
Entering at 4 for 14, he carried his bat and made half the bloody score. Not out 44.
He struck a death blow with a mighty six over mid-wicket, right in front of the Lakers team and the Timber Cutters were crestfallen.
It was left to Jamo to land the knockout, and he crunched a boundary to see the scoreboard register the 87th run off the fourth ball of the 29th over.
The Lakers always looking for the run and sweating on the loose delivers proved decisive in mowing down the total. Every player answered the call when the questions were asked.
Each player performed their role under the pressure of a final. And the club has unearthed a new generation of cricketers.
The old saying proved correct again. ‘A team of champions cannot beat a Champion Team.
‘Stronger than steel.
‘More valuable than gold.
‘And it also proved impervious to water.’
It was a Titanium performance by the Lakers.
Yarrawonga Chronicle