Mt Evelyn bats rain on Seville

By Keith Thompson, YVCA secretary
ON A WONDERFUL final day for the 2005-06 Yarra Valley Cricket Season the senior finals were concluded on Saturday.
The Strachan Shield match saw Mt Evelyn win a wonderful contest with Seville fighting all the way to the end but, just some 30 odd runs short. Maybe another wicket in hand over night may well have seen an even tighter contest.
Congratulations should be extended to both teams who were the third and fourth sides on the final home and away ladder in getting the opportunity to play off for the premiership. Congratulations to Mt Evelyn on winning the Shield.
In the Strachan Shield Reserve, Yarra Junction had an almost impossible task in following up on Healesville’s massive lead and was 8/68 when they decided to concede the match being played at Gruyere thus leaving Healesville as the Reserve Premiers.
The Strachan Shield 3 premiership saw Wandin win convincingly against the previously undefeated Launch United in their match at Seville.
It was a great pleasure for the YVCA that Don Strachan was present to award the Premiership Medals to the Wandin team when the match concluded at tea on day three.
Coldstream won the Strachan Shield fourth grade premiership with their win over Seville. Coldstream were just too good throughout the match according to a couple of the experienced Seville players.
The R. A. Finger Trophy grade final between Gruyere District and Hoddles Creek at Yarra Junction saw the Gruyere District team win following on from their victory last season.
Although it could be said they were under strength in the batting area, the massive strength of the two strike bowlers in Luke Sarre and Matt Tilney usually pulled them out of any hole they found themselves in. This final was to follow in a similar manner, as with only 181 on the board they dismissed Hoddles Creek for just 89 runs.
R. A. Finger Trophy 2 saw the same two clubs doing battle as in the Finger Trophy with Gruyere District and Hoddles Creek battling it out. But here, the win was reversed with the Hoddles Creek club coming out as the premiers. Club president Harry Derix was over the moon in having a premiership medal around his neck after more than 16 seasons of trying to win a flag.
In the R. A. Finger Trophy 3 grade, Yarra Glen won the premiership by defeating Marysville at Coldstream.
The Premiership Shields and plaques will be presented to the clubs along with the various individual batting and bowling awards at the Association Presentation Night on Friday, 31 March at Lilydale International commencing at 7.30pm.
This will no doubt be a wonderful final event for the YVCA to conclude another successful cricket season.