KEILOR’S hopes of winning three Victorian Turf Cricket Association Senior Division premierships in four years were dashed by a desperate Yarraville Club on the weekend.
Keilor failed to contain the batting of Michael O’Keefe, narrowly losing the first innings and being batted out of the contest in the second week.
O’Keefe recorded scores of 96 and 150 in the grand final without being dismissed in a match-winning performance.
While the game lacked a grandstand finish the first innings battle was riveting, and in the end Yarraville Club’s 15-run advantage proved invaluable to the result.
On the first weekend the Clubbers won the toss and batted, and despite losing wickets early, it steadied with O’Keefe and Colin Smart, who put on 110 runs for the third wicket.
Keilor stemmed the flow of runs from one end through the solid bowling of Josh Boyle (3/47) and Scott Porter (3/36), but O’Keefe remained firm as his team closed its first innings at 225.
Keilor’s openers fell without making a major impression on the score sheet, but, similarly to Yarraville Club, it had a constant presence in skipper Darrell Brown.
Brown batted with four of his team-mates before falling for a gallant 81 with the score at 7/194.
The minor premier looked favoured to win the first innings at that stage, but Shane Gordon was trapped lbw for 38 late on day two, leaving Keilor 19 runs away from the target with one wicket in hand.
Smart was the hero for Yarraville Club early on day three, snatching the final wicket to end Keilor’s innings at 210 and finishing with figures of 5/28.
Shane McEachran and Darryl Hodgson also played important roles with the ball, chipping in with two wickets apiece.
The Clubbers knew they did not need a result in the second innings to secure victory, and it set about batting Keilor out of the match on day three.
Again it was O’Keefe who tormented the Keilor bowlers, smashing 150 without offering a chance all afternoon.
Along with Chris Wright (33) and Darrell Masters (30), O’Keefe helped Yarraville Club to a mammoth second innings total of 9/322, keeping Keilor out of the contest.
