By Marcus Uhe
They say a picture writes a thousand words.
But what about a cricket scorecard?
The 1988/89 Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) grand final scorecard will tell you only a sliver of what you need to know about Berwick’s first ever DDCA premiership.
35 years removed from one of the more remarkable grand finals you’re likely to encounter, Berwick’s heroes of the 1988/89 DDCA Turf 1 premiership gathered at Arch Brown Reserve on Saturday, still with a sense of disbelief in the circumstances behind the remarkable result.
The all-conquering side, led by captain-coach Brian Lambert, met fierce rivals Cranbourne at Shepley Oval, the centrepiece venue for cricket in the region.
Berwick, carrying with it an aura of invincibility, was desperate to cash-in on a golden era of cricketers and breakthrough for a maiden flag since joining the DDCA.
Lambert was a prized recruit early in his tenure at Arch Brown Reserve, having tied for the first-ever Wookey medal back in 1984/85 while playing for St Mary’s, and claimed his second in 1987/88, now at Berwick.
A washed-out first day saw the game stretch into a third; the rules at the time allowing for the use of a reserve day for such circumstances.
Lambert won the toss and opted to bat, with star opener Gavan Wills and Tom Crebbin eager to get their side off to an ideal start and capture some precious silverware.
At 0/31, things were looking good for the Bears, the play largely following the script for the minor premiers.
Within a handful of overs, however, the score read 4/35.
Wills and Crebbin were both run out for scores in the teens, before Jamie McDonnell and Mark Page both departed in quick succession.
Lambert, a key cog with the willow himself at number three, had been demoted to number eight, his hand injured in a car crash in the week before the game.
Just a few hours into what was shaping up to be one of the best days of these men’s lives, it was quickly descending into a nightmare.
“We were in terrible strife,” Lambert recalled.
“We needed to get a good start and things didn’t turn out well.
“Everything went well for them, and everything went badly for us.
“But two blokes, ‘Pip’ (Derrick Brown) and Andrew Henry got us back in the game, and got us enough runs to be competitive.”
Brown and Henry settled in for the long haul, their patience crucial given the circumstances in the game.
The Bears settled on batting for as long as they could to chew into the available overs their opponents would have to chase what was shaping as a below-par score.
Brown fell for a valuable 55, but his 111-run stand with Henry lifted their side to 5/146, a considerable improvement from a few hours earlier.
Henry would top score with 65, while valuable contributions from Rohan Nancarrow (33), an emerging Cameron McDonnell (32 not out) and Allan Aurisch (15) pushed the team score to 257.
The decision to bat for as long as possible saw the Bears dig in for a whopping 119 overs, their resilience and mental fortitude on full display against a quality Cranbourne attack.
As a result, the Eagles were left with just 66 overs available to reach the target.
“We definitely used the rules to our advantage,” Lambert said.
“Because we had such a bad start, we ended up playing out the overs and really killed them, so they had to make a certain amount in a certain time.
“Everything was in our favour, if we could bat-out time, which we did.”
Three strikes at the top of the order from Wills prevented any partnerships of significance from forming for Cranbourne, with two wickets falling with the score on 88.
From 4/88, Cranbourne’s middle order added 97 for the fifth wicket until Lambert, broken hand and all, struck in his third over to break the stand.
With overs ticking away, Berwick were looking comfortable, but Cranbourne refused to lay down.
The match somehow reached an epic 66th and final over with each result a possibility, tension palpable among the throng at Shepley Oval.
Cranbourne needed 20 runs to pull off a remarkable upset, Berwick a further four wickets.
A pair of boundaries got Cranbourne off to a perfect start in the crescendo, but they ultimately fell 10 runs short, cueing ecstasy for the Bears, having capped a brilliant season in a diabolical manner.
For Lambert, the inner belief the squad had harnessed over the years was crucial in keeping the faith when the pressure was on.
“With the recruits that we brought in to the club, we really gelled with the core players that were here,” Lambert said.
“We quickly developed this… you know how when you want to win? That’s one thing, but every game, we expected to win; a loss was not in our minds.
“We thought we were that good, that we would win every game we played.
“When we had our backs to the wall, we just dug deep, but we had to think strategically to win the game.
“That’s why it was such a good victory; we all look back and think, ‘can we have that game over again?’ things would have been so different.
“But that’s not the way it is, that’s what happened on that day.
“’Flukey’ things happen, but it turned out to be a great win for the club.”
10 of the 11 heroes of 1988/89 were in attendance for a special presentation at Tea in Berwick’s clash with Beaconsfield, with one even flying in from Europe for the occasion, Jamie McDonnell the only absentee at the time.
“We had a good year and it’s fantastic to see them all,” Lambert continued.
“We’re still all alive, which is great.
“It’s good to see everyone.
“Pip Brown was a superstar, Rohan Nancarrow was a sensational player.
“It’s really great to see them again.
“They all had their times at the club and as we go on, in another hour’s time, we’ll all be hanging shit on one-another.”
As all premiership reunions between old mates should.
1988/89 DDCA TURF 1 GRAND FINAL
Berwick 257 (Andrew Henry 65, Derrick Brown 55) defeated Cranbourne 6/248 (Gavan Wills 3/49).
Berwick Premiership XI: Gavan Wills, Tom Crebbin, Jamie McDonnell, Mark Page, Derrick Brown, Andrew Henry, Rohan Nancarrow, Brian Lambert, Cameron McDonnell, Allan Aurisch, Rod Allan.
