Sport
23 March, 2024
Silver lining to 125 years of Redbacks
ARNOLD proved the giant killers of the Upper Loddon Cricket Association winning the FP Nevins & Co. Premiership Shield for season 2023-24. With just two wins and a forfeit in the home and away season, Arnold turned things around in the finals...
ARNOLD proved the giant killers of the Upper Loddon Cricket Association winning the FP Nevins & Co. Premiership Shield for season 2023-24.
With just two wins and a forfeit in the home and away season, Arnold turned things around in the finals.
The Redbacks defeating minor premiers Kingower in the semi-final and then accounting for the more fancied Wedderburn in the final to claim their second one day flag.
In the club’s 125th year, the Redbacks came from wooden spooners to premiers in this season’s four-team competition.
The grand final played at Boort for the first time, was a closely contested affair with the lush outfield pulling up many a potential boundary.
Both teams also suffered with several catches put down at crucial times.
Play commenced under the watchful eyes of umpires Brian Minogue and Ben Rose with Arnold winning the toss and sending Wedderburn in to bat.
Wedderburn’s total of 121 was dominated by skipper Luke Holt through the first half of the innings, and Matt Lockhart through the second half.
Their respective scores of 41 and 29 were well over half the team’s total, with Will Holt the only other batsman to reach double figures.
Michael Dale was the pick of the Arnold bowlers, sending down eight tidy overs and he conceded only 10 runs whilst picking up three victims.
Ryan Metelmann, Heath Lock and Campbell Hancock gave good support picking up two wickets each.
Arnold commenced their innings in fairly uneventful fashion with Adam Postle predictably hard to score from and had moved along to 2/37 at the first drinks break.
The game changed complexion immediately following the break as Jimmy Van de Wettering bowled his third over.
Van de Wettering, who had earlier claimed the important wicket of Phil Scholes in his first over, had Ryan Metelmann caught down the leg side with his first ball.
His third ball was clipped away by Michael Dale but in going for a second run, Dale was unable to beat Finn Turnbull’s return and was run out for one.
The very next ball Kale Hewett bunted a catch to Steve Giorlando for a golden duck.
When Adam Davies was dismissed in Giorlando’s following over, Arnold had lost four wickets in 10 balls and had slumped to 6/43. Wedderburn may have been on the verge of wrapping up the game early.
But Arnold had different ideas and it would be the last time in the season decide that the Wedderburn bowlers tasted success.
The experienced Cam Dale was joined by Heath Lock and this pair firstly consolidated the innings and then started to pick the bowling off.
With a series of pull shots and crisp drives this pair eventually took Arnold to victory with an unbeaten 78 run partnership.
Dale faced 111 balls for his 54 runs while Lock’s contribution was 35.
The half-century from Dale came with a stirring boundary that put the Redbacks on the cusp of victory and within minutes, players were dancing in around the pitch, joined in jubilation by supporters.
Wedderburn weren’t without their chances to break this partnership as several catches were spilt, along with other near misses with the winning run actually coming from another dropped catch.
Van de Wettering was the most successful Wedderburn bowler with his three wickets while Postle and Giorlando were at their frugal best conceding only 11 and 13 runs respectively off their eight overs as well as claiming a wicket each.
Immediately following the game, Henry McCullough was presented with the FP Nevins Premiership Shield while Heath Lock was adjudged by the umpires to be the player of the Grand Final.
Kingower’s Matt Rowe won the Bishop Player of the Year, The Merv Gilmore Memorial Batting Aggregate and the batting average award.
Teammates Jayden Leach received the Graham Family bowling average, Lachlan DeJong the bowling aggregate, Ben Rose the Empire State Hotel Catching Award.
Arnold’s Phil Scholes again won the the Scullie Wicketkeeping Award.
Wedderburn Band v Arnold
Wedderburn
W. Holt b R. Metelmann 14
L. Holt lbw b M. Dale 41
C. Steel c P. Scholes b M. Dale 3
B. Holt b H. Lock 3
M. Smith c C. Dale b H. Lock 7
J. Van de Wettering b C. Hancock 4
M. Woods c P. Scholes b M. Dale 0
M. Lockhart run out (A. Davies) 29
S. Giolando c M. Dale b C. Hancock 1
A. Postle b R. Metelmann 4
F. Turnbull not out 2
Extras 13
Total 121
Bowling R. Metelmann 7.5-2-2-22, H. McCullough 8-0-0-23, M. Dale 8-3-3-10, H. Lock 7-1-2-32, C. Hancock 5-0-2-17, C. Dale 4-1-0-12.
Arnold
P. Scholes b Van de Wettering 14
H. McCullough lbw b A. Postle 1
C. Dale not out 54
R. Metelmann c M. Smith b J. Van de Wettering 6
M. Dale run out (F. Turnbull) 1
K. Hewett c S. Giorlando b J. Van de Wettering 0
A. Davies c M. Lockhart b S. Giorlando 4
H. Lock not out 35
Extras 7
Total 6/122
Bowling A. Postle 8-3-1-11, W. Holt 8-1-0-24, M. Woods 2-0-0-7, J. Van de Wettering 8-1-3-24, S. Giorlando 8-2-1-13, C. Steel 3-0-0-21, F. Turnbull 0.3-0-0-2.