AFTER 21 weeks of toil it all came down to the last week for the Mount Evelyn and Warburton-Millgrove teams in D.J. Strachan Shield.
With Seville, Coldstream and Healesville all but assured in the top four, it was a battle between the Rovers and the Burras for the final position.
Warburton-Millgrove travelled to Hoddles Creek defending 191 on the lightning-quick Hoddles Creek ground against a Wombats team that have hit a purple patch late in the season.
Sitting at 1/19 overnight, both sides were looking for a quick start, and it was the Burras who snuffed out two early wickets to have their finals aspirations well and truly on track.
The Derix name is synonymous with cricket at Hoddles Creek, and it was fitting that brothers Brenton and Jeremy combined for a game-changing partnership. With disciplined batting, the Wombats moved confidently towards the winning target.
The loss of Brenton Derix for 32 put a blip on the radar and gave the Burras some confidence of rolling through the rest of the order, however Jeremy Derix expertly anchored the chase to see the Wombats through to the target with five wickets in hand, while posting a much-deserved century (102 not out) in the process.
Mount Evelyn assured it would participate in finals, easily accounting for Woori Yallock.
After being 2/38 overnight, and in a strong position, the Tigers were rocked from the first over, as the brilliant Kane Jones captured three wickets before the first change of ends. With the fall of the sixth wicket with the score still at 43, the Tigers were going to battle to make the required 160 for victory.
Dean Worlley (30) and Daniel Ryan ensured the Tigers wouldn’t be completely embarrassed with a fighting 27-run partnership, but Jones would have nothing of a revival as he quickly extinguished the Tiger’s tail, to finish with 7/38, to see the Tigers all out for 87.
Seville and Coldstream will enter finals with confidence at different ends of the scale after their round 14 clash. Seville not only sent a message to the Crocs but the entire association as they made short work of this contest.
Posting an imposing 267 on day one, the Blues didn’t give Coldstream an inch as speedsters Matt Tilney (4/49) and Ishara Amerasinghe (3/19) made short work of the Crocs much-vaunted top order, while in a good sign for the Blues, Scott Troyhan’s spin captured 3/13 to offer good variety to the attack.
In the end Coldstream were bowled out for a paultry 118, putting some doubt on their claims to third position.
In the final D.J. Strachan Shield fixture, Healesville had an impressive hit out against Yarra Junction as they prepared for their first home final in many seasons.
After posting 219 on day one, the Bloods attack again showed that they have contributors across the board with the ball as they made short work of the tiring Eagles.
Disciplined trio, Brian Scanlon (3/1), Allan Pearce (2/8) and Andy Harrison (2/11) reaped the rewards as the Bloods again showed that scoring against their patient attack takes some work. Hard work and discipline is what the Eagles have lacked since Christmas, and they meekly folded in this contest to be all out for 72.
So the action now really heats up, with a two-week mad dash for premiership glory. With final ladders yet to be confirmed, semi-final match-ups are yet to be released, however one thing’s assured, this final series is much anticipated as many of the clubs will be represented in either junior or senior action.
D.J. STRACHAN SHIELD
Healesville 219 (S. Hamer 59, J. Savage 51, David Lever 4/43, Dan Lever 4/55) d Yarra Junction 72 (Dan Lever 18, B. Scanlon 3/1, A. Pearce 2/8, A. Harrison 2/11), Mount Evelyn 9/159 (T. Hancock 57, J. Wright 4/26, S. Young 4/41) d Woori Yallock 9/87 (D. Worlley 30, K. Jones 7/38), Hoddles Creek 5/194 (J. Derix 103 not out, B. Derix 32, T. Murphy 2/51) d Warburton-Millgrove 191, Seville 8/267 (D. Troyahn 70, A. Kay 58, M. Tilney 54 not out, M. Jonson 5/52) d Coldstream 118 (M. Tilney 4/49, S. Troyahn 3/13, I. Amarasinghe 3/19).
R.A. FINGER TROPHY
Gruyere District 1/163 and 0/68 (N. Hunter 47 not out, D. Waixel 15 not out) d Woori Yallock 5/35 and 5/186 (S. Kennedy 49, K. Smith 45, G. Sweenten 1/11, M. Hodgetts 1/24), Warburton-Millgrove 9/152 d Hoddles Creek 8/102, Healesville 9/253 (B. Slater 88, B. Horner 76, J. Juzwin 3/60, M. Richards 2/38) d Yarra Junction 114 (P. Ford 33, R. Howard-Scales 3/36, C. Smith 2/2), Seville 6/142 (M. Sondergeld 26, R. Oates 26, J. Pegg 3/25) d Coldstream 9/139 (B. Fritsch 43, G. Woodford 6/45).
C GRADE
Mount Evelyn 183 (S. Kogleman 47, B. Johnson 4/47) d Wandin 144 (E. Buckley 31, R. Shepherd 3/26), Seville 5/210 (A. Spargo 66 not out, S. Hill 3/65) d Marysville 101 (T. Goldstraw 25, L. Johnson 5/23) & 6/41 (M. Hadlum 2/14), Healesville 180 (J. Braemar 58, L. Daly 33, R. Boxell 5/52, S. Flutter 3/47) d Yarra Junction 81 (N. Spakman 3/13, D. Kerr 2/8), Yarra Glen 235 (A. Cowan 82, T. Davey 55, M. McConnell 3/22, L. Winter-Annette 3/41) d Launching Place United 169 (C. Hoare 58, D. Rogers 4, J. Bourke 3/54).
D GRADE
Mount Evelyn 317 d Gruyere District 192 (L. Hunter 42, F. Young 40, J. David 3/39, J. Williams 2/8), Healesville 140 (J. Szabo 34, Shamal 4/26) d Yarra Junction 66 (D. Robertson 33, P. Sanders 7/7, J. Szabo 2/8), Hoddles Creek 4/202 d Launching Place 89 and 66 (B. Cole 4/33, S. Robertson 3/17), Seville 8/160 (A. Johnson 34, N. Smith 34, C. Pegg 4/60) d Coldstream 158 (P. Batchelor 29, R. Culwick 3/37).
ONE DAY GRADE
Silvan 5 /124 (C. Maclagan 40 not out, J. Rowe 45 not out, D. Marshall 2/22) d Wandin 6/119 (J. Dobson 24), Powelltown 4/89 (J. Long 37 not out, R. White 26, R. Beverley 2/1, J. Brooks 2/28) d Healesville 80 (B. Wallace 23, R. Beverley 21, J. Cornish 2/0, J. Neale 2/13), Seville 8/96 (M. Forshaw 14) d Yarra Glen 6/91 (A. Adamson 35, R. Pearse 2/7), Warburton-Millgrove 5/123 d Coldstream 5/122.
TWENTY20 FINAL
Coldstream 2/100 (S. Phillips 30 not out, D. Adams 30 not out) d Woori Yallock 96 (D. Worlley 15, J. Pegg 4/23).
UNDER 16
Warburton-Millgrove 2/92 (M. Brown 26 not out, J. McIntosh 26) d Healesville Blue 16 (J. Hellary 4, J. Mcintosh 5/2, J. Nelson 4/6), Healesville Red 9/199 (R. O’Keefe 39, T. McGregor 37, L. Pickett 2/12, S. Walsh 2/13) d Coldstream 7/40 (B. Fritsch 19, D. Kerr 3/14, L. Zanatta 2/10), Healesville White 9/192 (D. Senior 53 not out, C. McGrath 45, T. Mullins 2/19, M. Sandfort 2/20) d
Seville 8/171 (T. Page 44, C. Bakken 44, D. Fry 2/10, E. McKie 2/15), Hoddles Creek 6/163 (B. Arnold 102 not out) d Yarra Junction 6/125 (M. Mallick 51).
UNDER 14A
Yarra Glen 5/239 (A. Adamson 68 not out, A. Smith 40 not out, A. Moate 40 not out) d Healesville 9/101 (M. Minney 16, N. Darkin 15, B. Archer 2/9, J. Clare 2/11), Seville 8/206 d Warburton Millgrove 5/95 (J. Neale 35, T. Wappett 14 not out, D. Bailey 8, R. Say 1/5, M. Dall 1/8, J. McKenna 1/9).
UNDER 14B
Mount Evelyn 8/209 (A. Whiting 40 not out, J. Williams 32, J. Irwin 4/19, T. Reed 2/24) d Yarra Junction 8/101 (J. Cook 38, J. Williams 2/4), Yarra Glen 9/150 (P. Moors 32 not out, J. Coulson 31, A. Robertson 2/20) d Woori Yallock/Hoddles Creek 7/38 and 2/85.
UNDER 12
Healesville Red 3/262 (D. Howard-Scales 43 not out, H. Keeling 40 not out, L. Chandler 32 not out, N. Hellary 2/15) d Healesville White 9/55 (N. Hellary 13, J. Simnett 11, T. Thorsen 2/2, C. Dennis 2/4), Hoddles Creek 7/106 d Yarra Glen 24, Seville 7/150 (T. Spargo 34 not out, E. Leeds 31 not out) d Mount Evelyn/Coldstream 80 (B. Westaway 15 not out, C. Steele 14, T. Spargo 2/6, A. Smith 2/8, L. Kay 2/8), Warburton-Millgrove 0/92 d Yarra Junction 8/40, Marysville 7/227 d Launching Place United 6/191.
