Joeys Grand Final write-up... What a day! What a Grand Final! 17 wickets for 79 runs. One team that lost seven wickets for seven runs to be all out for 50, but… still won its historic fifth premiership in a row. That team …. Avoca is the Premiers in the Roma Caravan Pyrenees Cricket Association for the 2013/14 season. Setting, Amphitheatre a target of 116, Dale (Bubby) Marshall MVP Adrian Pilgrim led the way with another bag of five wickets as Avoca reigned supreme by 44 runs ina dramatic days cricket. Avoca had placed itself in a spot of bother on the second day when two of the three wickets that fell went to run outs. Commencing at 3/43 and with a lead already of 109, the game was slightly in its favour. Nathan Coghlan added five runs but it was not another repeat of his first innings heroics as he was bowled by Rob Walsh for 8. Lachkan Morganti added two runs before he became Brett Stevenson’s first wicket. From then only Steve McIntyre would trouble the scorers as Walsh and Stevenson tore through the Avoca middle and lower order. Avoca slumped from 6/48 when Morganti departed to be all out for 51. Four of the five wickets to fall were ducks. Walsh was irresistible as he took 5/23 from 15 overs, with nine maidens. The aggressive Stevenson, at the other end, was the perfect foil as he captured 3/8 from just three overs. Amphitheatre needed 118 runs to win with 160 overs left in the game. Legendary past Avoca champion, Ray Templeton, sitting in his favourite spot under the trees at the Moonambel end of the Avoca Recreation Reserve, bravely predicted that Avoca was well in the game and was still slight favourites. His prediction seemed to bear fruit when both Amphitheatre openers, Justin Pearce (2) and prolific run scorer and Amphitheatre captain, Gary Curtis (0), were back in the pavilion with the score at 2/4. Michael Kuiper was joined by first innings hero, Justin Murley and the pair added 30 for the third wicket. Matt Drummond replaced the impressive Lachlan Morganti )1/11 from 6 overs) and found success almost immediately. Avoca’s fielding was first class and its catching was at times breathtaking. Nathan Coghlan snapped up a beauty from the bat of Murley (13) to give Drummond his first wicket. When he bowled Walsh for 5, Amphitheatre was teetering at 4/44. Three balls into his innings, Luke Dridan launched an almighty pul shot, which looked detined for the boundary, before Lachlan Morganti snatched it at the end of a twenty five meter dash. It was now 5/44. Matt Clark decided aggression was the best way, smashing three fours off one Pilgrim over, but Pilgrim had the last laugh, snatching a wonderful catch to give Drummond four wickets for the innings. When the brave Kuiper (25) became Pilgrim’s second victim, Amphitheatre was in all sorts of trouble at 7/64. With the tail exposed and with a late innings wizard bowling, Amphitheatre was all out for 72 in the 30th over. Drummond was excellent with 4/21 from 10 overs, but despite making a duck early in the day, all honours went to Pilgrim. He finished with 5/38 from 15 overs, for a match aggregate of 13 wickets for just 71 runs. It was his fifth five wicket haul for the season and a total aggregate of 53 wickets at an average of 5.87. So powerful is his hold over Pyrenees batsmen, he takes a wicket every three overs. He received his fourth Bubby Marshall award and he has played a huge part in the Avoca dynasty that has won nine out of the past twelve Grand Finals in the Roma Caravan Pyrenees Cricket Association. For Avoca, there is some great young talent coming through to back up the more experienced group consisting of Pilgrim, Gavan Hicks and Steve McIntyre and the not so old Avoca skipper, Drummond.. For Amphitheatre, there will be time later to look at the huge leaps the team has made over the past couple of years but on Saturday, there was a strong feeling of a chance gone begging.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:29:56 +0000
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