ONLY eight runs separated premiers YOBS from runners-up Dunsborough at the end of an outstanding A-grade cricket grand final for the Barnard Cup at the Dunsborough Playing Fields on Saturday.
After YOBS had recovered from the ignominy of losing both their openers in the first two overs of the game to eventually post a competitive 9-203 off 50 overs – a total largely due to a third-wicket stand of 98 between Troyden Thorp (40) and man of the match Ben Clarke (79) – it looked like a one-horse race when Dunsborough crashed to 6-45 in reply.
YOBS’ opening bowlers Haig Colombera (1-18 off 10 overs) and Matty Braid (3-25) played the biggest part in the early wicket haul, while 14-year-old Ky Spowart also claimed a key Dunsborough wicket, that of Matt Jamieson.
But this setback for Dunsborough paved the way for a courageous partnership of 87 for the seventh wicket, between veteran Danny Hatton (47), running on one leg, and newcomer Ryan Clark (40), to breathe life back into the game and set the scene for a great finish.
YOBS were feeling panicky until Ardene Ruhode lured Clark into a false shot to make it 7-132, but it was not over yet, even after Hatton fell at 8-161.
Valiant late-order performances by Phil Watts (28 not out) and popular import Ricky Small-Bruce (18 not out), who shared an unbroken 26 for the 10th wicket, almost got Dunsborough over the line.
It would have completed a faultless day for Dunsborough, who had already secured the B-grade flag for the Barnard Shield, in a convincing win over YOBS on the adjacent hard wicket, as well as the C-grade final for the Penfold Shield, over Augusta on the synthetic wicket at Barnard Park.
It was Dunsborough’s third successive C-grade premiership, and the second under skipper Andy Mahoney.
The work behind the scenes by the Dunsborough Cricket Club’s committee leading up to and during the grand finals made the occasion a great success for everyone involved, and demonstrated that the option of playing grand finals away from cricket headquarters at Barnard Park could still work well.
Dunsborough were on top in the B-grade grand final against YOBS from the start, with Pete Morris (3-30) dismissing both openers Ross Ligtermoet and Jed Kemp cheaply, Matt Cooper (2-18) taking a further two wickets, and then left-armer Adrian Graham (3-18) grabbing another two to see YOBS reeling at 6-38.
A hard-hitting 35 off 26 balls by Justin Gilbert helped YOBS pass the 100 mark, but their total of 101 all out in 30.4 overs did not look defendable at the half-way stage of the game.
That was until the opening overs of Dunsborough’s reply.
Cam Snow and Jamie Trewren combined to dismiss the openers, and Dunsborough were in shock at 2-0.
Experienced left-hander Chris Dudley (34) then played the key anchor role as Dunsborough recovered, eventually going on to win the game with the loss of five wickets, in the 38th of their allotted 45 overs.
Skipper Ian Purcell will have the honour of raising the Barnard Shield at the Busselton-Margaret River Cricket Association wind-up on Saturday, April 7, at the Barnard Pavilion; while first-year YOBS skipper Ben Payne will be accepting both the Yates Shield, for the A-grade minor premiership, as well as the Barnard Cup for the ultimate prize in the BMRCA A-grade competition.
B-grade grand final scores:
Dunsborough 5-102 (37.2 overs) (C. Dudley 34, C. Morris 18no, B. Christmas 15, T. Spowart 2-11, J. Trewren 1-7 off 5 overs) defeated YOBS 101 (30.4 overs) (J. Gilbert 35, J. Wain 16, M. Walsh 16, A. Graham 3-18, P. Morris 3-20, M. Cooper 2-18) at Dunsborough Synthetic.
