A SEYMOUR District Cricket Association A grade grand final from the top shelf has delivered Tallarook a victory which truly came from the clouds, nullifying a gallant Seymour at the death to win by 12 runs at Tallarook Recreation Reserve.
The men in red and blue have now won four premierships in a row, but clearly, this was the hardest of the lot to win, given Seymour, for much of the day, had the upper hand.
Sending Tallarook in, Seymour clearly had a plan to put the opening partnership under pressure, and for the first half of the innings, the Maroons executed their plan to perfection, with runs coming at a premium.
The score got to 63 for Tallarook before Seymour got its first breakthrough, with youngster Hamish Melville making a composed 24 before hitting a Hugh Smith ball straight to Luke Woolan.
The dangerous Lachlan Watts came to the crease, and he was able to release the shackles somewhat for Tallarook by delivering a run-a-ball 43 off 45 balls.
That helped get the score to 128, before Braidon Horkings trapped him in front.
Tallarook still needed bulk runs, and it was Leigh Irving which provided some entertainment in a short stay at the crease which delivered 24 runs off 13 balls.
A constant was Joshua Rudge for Tallarook. He carried his bat throughout the innings and was rewarded handsomely with 53 as Tallarook made 3/171 off its 45 overs.
Considering Seymour’s bowling efforts, it was an excellent effort from Tallarook to make 171.
What it did do was make Seymour play aggressively right from the start of their innings, and it was Brett Gordon who wasn’t shying away from the challenge, hitting 10 runs in the opening over to send a message that the Maroons were going to give it everything.
Tallarook got its first little look when it dismissed Hugh Smith for 10 through Ben Trezise, before Watts caught Cameron Evans off his own bowling to leave Seymour 2/47.
The reliable Lachlan Drummond came in and helped Gordon pick up the pace, and for a long time, it looked as though it would be Seymour who would cruise to the target.
That was set up by Gordon, who had made a composed 50, playing some magnificent shots to the boundary along the way.
At one stage, the Maroons were 2/124, needing a further 48, but it was youngster Blake Munari-O’Dwyer who would come in and inspire his teammates against the tide.
While Munari-O’Dwyer had conceded a number of runs in his first short spell, his ability to trap Drummond in front for 39 was a gamechanger.
At the start of the 34th over, Munari-O’Dwyer also delivered the key ball of a match with many twists and turns, one which nipped up and clattered into Gordon’s castle for 61.
It was still up to Tallarook, who desperately needed wickets and dot balls, with Seymour needing 31 off the last 10 overs and in front of the game.
Watts bowled a maiden to put the pressure on, before Munari-O’Dwyer delivered two wickets in five balls, claiming Daniel Bergowicz in front for LBW, before bowling Harvey Smith.
When Matthew Archibald chipped in with the wicket of Jason Brown, the Maroons had suddenly lost 5/17.
Archibald took the wicket of Damian Murphy for six, before Tarkyn Dundon finished off the job with the final two wickets, and Tallarook had come from the clouds to claim a classic, winning by 12 runs, bowling Seymour out for 159.
Munari-O’Dwyer’s game changing spell brought figures of 4/38, and with it, the best-on-ground medal.
Relieved Tallarook captain Kalon Winnell paid tribute to the challenge from Seymour, as well as his young bowling attack which delivered a memorable win.
“It was probably the hardest fought one we’ve had out of the four premierships, but the pleasing thing was really our young fellas who brought it home. They are all under 21, which shows we have a good future,” he said.
“We’ve invested heavily with our kids, and we have some experienced players, but it was great to see the young players carry it. Seymour was very good competition.
“We’ve been in this position before when it was two-day cricket, the depth of our side is what we pride ourselves on, and all 13 players contributed.
“Seymour had great plans and were really disciplined, but the depth of our order got us going in the end.”
Winnell said there were big plans for Tallarook with a youth-driven future.
“The comp has picked up. You can see that by the standard of the grand final and the B grade, and we went back-to-back in the under 13s, and there’s some good young kids coming through there,” he said.
“Hamish Melville, a young 16-year-old opening the batting and batting well past drinks was really good.
“We’re hoping to get an under 16s up next year and have all sides back, and that would be a good thing for the league if we have more kids playing.”
Munari-O’Dwyer said it was the efforts of the other bowlers which allowed him to claim wickets at the death.
“The first spell wasn’t too great, but the second spell brought it back. It wasn’t just me that did it, Tarkyn Dundon finished it off well,” he said.
“Cricket is a funny game, we have to keep playing to the last ball, as you never know what happens, and it played in our favour.
“It’s good that all the young boys get a go, including Hamish Melville opening, he got a good 24, so there’s a lot of trust in the young people.”
Munari-O’Dwyer is setting sail for England and is hoping he takes his match-winning form with him as he prepares for a sojourn with the Duke ball.
“I’m hoping to carry my second spell through to my time in England, but it’s a new experience and a new challenge, we’ll see what it brings,” he said.
In the B grade grand final, Pyalong delivered a 44-run win over Alexandra.
Batting first, Damien Zoch’s 41 and Jamie Biagioni’s 42 helped get Pyalong to 148, before a constant stream of wickets helped it get the job done, bowling Alexandra out for 104.
Paul Dugard took 4/30 off six overs, while Samuel MacDonald claimed 3/38 off nine overs.
Zoch was awarded the best on ground medal for his leadership and his 41, helping anchor the Pyalong batting innings.