General News
26 March, 2021
Bulls premiership hat-trick
IT took a mighty effort but Pomborneit was once again crowned as South West Cricket premiers on Sunday.
IT took a mighty effort but Pomborneit was once again crowned as South West Cricket premiers on Sunday.
The Bulls, which at one stage were on track to potentially miss the top four, recorded its third successive division one premiership, defeating fellow powerhouse Mortlake by five wickets at Cobden Recreation Reserve.
The victory, which came on the back of an eight game winning streak, gave Pomborneit three successive premierships for the first time since the 1940s and 1950s when the club won six straight from 1946/47 to 1951/52 in the Stoneyford Cricket Association.
“Everyone is pretty ecstatic at the moment because it doesn’t come around too often,” Bulls skipper Grant Place said.
“I think this is the first time its happened since the late 40s, start of the 50s so it’s a pretty rare feat.
“Everyone is pretty happy about it that’s for sure.”
Place said the Bulls’ winning streak to not only reach the decider but also be crowned premiers made the third flag the club’s most sweetest.
In previous years the Bulls have finished top of the ladder and have gone onto win, whereas this year they won every game from round 11 to finish third before it then toppled Noorat and the Cats on the league’s finals stage.
“Obviously the other two had their different things about the season as well as those wins and finals but this year was just tough all the way through,” Place said.
“The form we hit in the last half of the season was obviously required to make the finals in the first place but to keep playing good cricket each week was really pleasing.
“I noticed just how calm everyone was when we did have our backs against the wall.
“Everyone’s belief and confidence never really wavered. Sam Darcy who I think has played in five premierships including two Twenty20 flags, has just turned 19. Those younger guys and the experience they’ve gained over the last three years is going to hold us in good shape for a long while.”
Mortlake won the toss and elected to bat first, posting 9/131 from its 50 overs. Veteran Cat Shane Slater was a mainstay throughout the innings crafting 47 at the top of the order but he received limited support, with Lachie Wareham (27) the only other batsman to pass double figures.
Pomborneit’s pair of spinners Tharaka Sendanayake (4/23) and Lahiru Fernando (3/17) combined for seven wickets, while Sam Darcy (1/14) and Tom Place (1/26) also took a wicket apiece.
In reply, the Bulls through man of the match Dave Murphy (50) and Grant Place (40 not out) reached the target five wickets down in the 45th over.
Todd Lamont (2/22) best served Mortlake with the ball, while Isaac Wareham (1/15) and Todd Robertson (1/28) also took wickets.
“I would have definitely batted first on the wicket. It was always going to deteroriate, there was a lot of cracks and was only going drier as the day went on,” Place said.
“We thought early on if we could just chip away and take a couple of wickets at the start and restrict the runs before the spinners came on ,that would be the key.
“I think we had them not many runs around the 39-40 over mark and they probably got a few more than what I would have liked in the last 10 but to restrict to nine down for 131 was a pretty good effort really.
“You would have taken that at the start of the day that’s for sure.”
Place said Murphy’s innings proved valuable with the bat, with the Bulls opener able to cut down the required run rate in the first 25 overs, which ultimately built the pressure on the Cats bowling attack.
“Dave was probably the only batsman to hit the ball well all day for both sides,” he said.
“At times he was playing on a different pitch but that was probably the key to the win.
“It sort of broke open the game albeit it they did well for a 10 to 15 over period there which made it really hard for myself and Larry (Fernando) to score.”
With Place now a three time premiership skipper, he hopes the Bulls flag run can continue next season.
This time, he expects his club’s younger brigade to be at the forefront of its defence, with the likes of Tom and Josh Place, Sam, Jack and Tom Darcy and others likely to be spearheading the reigning premiers next year.
“The team changes every year – there’s always one, two, three changes each year, there could be more but you don’t know, but you’re always trying to get better.
“I suppose the younger guys also want to have more impact each year. That is going to be the one thing going forward, the younger guys having more of an impact through a more consistent part of the season, be it batting higher up the order or bowling more overs.
“It will be one upside going forward.”