By JARROD POTTER
WGCA DISTRICT DIVISION
REVIEW – GRAND FINAL
FOUR years ago Cranbourne Meadows (193) was dead-last in Sub-District and struggling to stay afloat.
Now it is in Premier Division after a sensational 45-run District grand final victory over Officer (148).
Where did the turnaround come from?
It’s easy to suggest the Murdochs revolutionised the club, but there were fitting contributions up and down the order as the Rebels’ XI – not just the Murdoch tandem – fought their way into West Gippsland’s top flight.
The scriptwriters worked their hardest to ensure the battle ebbed and flowed and kept the fans glued to the action.
Once again, Brent Murdoch (85) stood tallest in the batting line-up and after a top-order tail-spin, losing their opening trio at 3/41, Murdoch emerged to steady proceedings.
In tandem with John Emery (29), the duo tipped the scales back in the Rebels favour. Shannon Marum (39) joined the party and was able to swashbuckle in his usual manner to get Cranbourne Meadows past 100.
Murdoch would remain the key scalp though and it took a captain to dismiss a captain as Shane White (3/34) put one into his pads, leaving the umpire no choice but to raise the finger and leave the Rebels skipper 15 short of a well-deserved ton.
After missing out with the bat, Shane Murdoch (4/47) took charge of the day’s proceedings and glued himself to the Princes Highway end. He rattled off 28.4 overs – with 12 maidens proving how difficult he was to get off the square.
Resuming with a steep, but achievable, chase ahead, Officer’s James Parnall (10) and Peter Quinn (20) tried to dig in against the Rebel-rousers, but all in the recognised batting spots fell to the might of Murdoch and co.
Shane White (7) found his eye and had stopped the rot, but his wicket proved important as Shane Murdoch trapped him in front.
To their credit the Bullants never waved the white flag as the lower order tried to stop the onslaught sinking their Premier ambitions.
Brayden McHugh (29) and Adam Reid (12) defined gallantry as the youngsters stuck to the crease and repelled the Murdoch rampage. A 30-run stand, but more importantly chewing up 20 overs, left Officer with 74 to win off the final 15 overs.
It was a platform forged by McHugh as he made sure the tail had someone to bat around. Once Reid holed out to Brent Murdoch (2/38), McHugh found another partner in Dan Irvine (23 not out). Irvine had to leave the match after a hamstring/groin strain flared during his innings – after a sharp single – but eight-down soon turned into nine-down as Dave Collins (0) was caught napping – he didn’t back up far enough. It brought Irvine back to the crease – this time with a runner in Parnall – and despite battling an injury, Irvine continued to take guard and do what he could.
He flayed a couple of boundaries and scattered the field as the chances steadily improved for the Bullants. Needing a run-a-ball for the final eight overs, Officer had to go for it and McHugh and Irvine upped the ante once again.
But the afternoon would belong to the Meadows as Shane Murdoch straightened one up and took McHugh’s leg stump to seal the deal and take the District premiership cup.
“Elation,” Brent Murdoch said as he described the premiership winning moment.
“I was down on the fence and Shane just ran towards me and that was it.
“I lifted him up and it’s just a great feeling – I can’t believe we’ve won the flag this year.
“Four years ago when Lee and I came – and he’s a big one to thank for this as well – the club was on its knees and we just knocked on the door and said we want to play some cricket close to home.
“To come from Sub-District – we went up without winning the flag – and to win it this year is just unbelievable.”
Officer’s dreams of two-up after two-down through the WGCA divisional system are still on the cards as the Bullants will take to District Division in 2015/16 as one of the top sides alongside Lyndhurst and Pakenham Upper/Toomuc.
