By David Marshall
A huge result for the Wandin Cricket Club on a perfect weekend for cricket, with both the 1st and 2nd XI bringing home premiership glory.
It was the culmination of a season built on hard work, discipline, and belief—and it ended with the ultimate reward.
1st XI – Smith Shield Premiers:
Taking on Ainslie Park in the Grand Final, our 1st XI resumed the second day of play defending a modest 145, but with momentum on our side having them 2/21 overnight.
It was always going to be a nervous day, and for us to come away with the win, our bowlers and fielders needed to deliver—and they absolutely did.
Our leading wicket taker of the season, Dan Trembath, got things going in style, striking twice in the same over to reduce Ainslie Park to 4/25.
From there, it was a grind.
Ainslie dug in, and we kept things tight.
The breakthrough came again thanks to Taylan “Taz” Hall, who dismissed their set batter to leave them 5/42, before Jarrod Dobson (1/13) followed up shortly after, making it 6/45.
Ainslie began swinging the momentum with a more aggressive approach and built a 30-run partnership to bring nerves back into the Wandin camp.
But Taz stepped up once again, removing their big hitter and pushing them to 7/73.
Their captain and top scorer was still at the crease, but the call was made to bring Dave Marshall into the attack—and it paid off immediately.
Dave bowled the skipper to leave them 8/91, and when Dan Trembath struck again the very next ball, we were suddenly one wicket away from premiership glory.
Tension built as Ainslie’s tail refused to roll over, edging their way to 99.
But fittingly, it was Taz who delivered the final blow—bowling the last man to finish with an incredible 5/43 in a match-winning, man-of-the-match performance.
Dan finished with a superb 3/27 as Wandin bowled out Ainslie Park for 99 to win their first ever 1st XI premiership in the RDCA.
A phenomenal team effort and a reward for the hard work and belief this group has shown all season.
2nd XI – Premiers in a Dominant Grand Final Performance:
After knocking over the minor premiers last week, the 2nd XI came into the Grand Final against St Andrews confident but focused.
In the split-innings format, we batted first—but the innings didn’t start as planned, with in-form opener Gordo Gosland dismissed early with the score on 11.
Batters got starts but struggled to go on with it.
Leigh Thomas was out with the score on 34, before Peter Vaughan (23) helped settle the innings.
When he was dismissed at 3/51, it was up to Jack Dowthwaite (20) and Ben Warren (37) to build something—and their 50-run partnership was just what we needed.
Jack fell at 98, and Ben followed soon after, leaving us 5/119 at the halfway point.
It was a competitive score, but the feeling was we’d lost a few too many wickets.
With the ball in hand, Wandin continued the theme of tight bowling that’s defined our season.
Jackson Kneebone (1/24) got the early breakthrough, and then Mitch Kogelman struck with another to leave St Andrews at 2/23.
The game turned dramatically in the next few overs.
Hamish Lamont (2/14) bowled the over of the match, taking two wickets in one crucial spell.
Jason Kneebone (1/21) followed up straight away, and suddenly St Andrews were in deep trouble at 5/41.
They fought back to close the day at 6/93, with Leigh Thomas (1/20) also claiming a key wicket.
On day two, it didn’t take long for captain Julian Polido (2/20) to remove their danger man—and then add another shortly after.
With the game almost done, Koges returned to polish off the tail, finishing with outstanding figures of 3/31.
St Andrews set us just 17 runs to chase, and it was Jules Polido (14*) and Ben Galante (11*) who calmly finished the job, securing a memorable premiership win for our 2nd XI.
Season Wrap-Up: A Club on the Rise:
What a way to finish the 2024/25 season.
1st XI – Premiers
2nd XI – Premiers
Women’s 1st XI – Grand Finalists
3rd XI – Just missed finals, but showed strong form late in the season
The club has never been stronger.
Across all four teams we’ve seen improvement, resilience, and belief.
Two premierships, a grand final appearance, and a clear sense that this is just the beginning.
A massive thank you to all our players, coaches, volunteers, supporters, and families.
Your dedication and effort make days like this possible.
Wandin Cricket Club – 2024/25: A season to remember.
