TULLAMARINE will be playing in Turf Cricket’s Senior Division next summer after toppling local rival PEGS in the North Division grand final on Sunday. After making a whopping 369 in its first dig last week, Tullamarine’s bowlers smashed PEGS on the Donald McLean Reserve wicket, restricting them to 151 in 90 overs.
In other VTCA results, it was a two-hour burst of strike bowling and clutch fielding for the ages from Yarraville Club on Sunday.
The Clubbers came into the final session of Turf Cricket’s Senior Division grand final needing a herculean effort from its bowlers.
Nine wickets were still required for victory and South Caulfield was in the box seat at 1/90 chasing 170 as players took the field for the final act.
With Matt Murphy and Richard Sherlock taking up the attack, the Clubbers were simply stunning in toppling the South Caulfield order.
Outstanding bowling combined with sublime catching in the slips and an awkward yet spectacular ‘caught and bowled’ dismissal for Murphy had suddenly swayed the contest completely in Yarraville Club’s favour.
In the gloomy conditions at Altona North’s Crofts Reserve, the Clubbers tore their way through the required wickets with an uncanny ease and soon enough the players were mobbed by supporters and club officials in the middle before a strong rendition of the club song.
Yarraville Club had become the Senior Division’s premier, again.
Basking in the aftermath of what has become a very familiar euphoria of premiership glory, winning captain-coach Emmett Bronca praised the amazing fielding his side produced on its way to victory.
“We’ve got some of the best slips fielders in the competition and the difference between a group of blokes that are actually playing for each other and just a team makes a huge difference,” Bronca said.
“The ability for (Anthony) Cristofaro’s catch at point, Justin Baker’s catches at slips and Benny Tupper behind the stumps were all absolutely amazing. Everything was just top-notch today.
“Matty Murphy’s wrong-footed, one-hander outside the line, was absolutely tremendous.”
Murphy and Sherlock were kept on for almost the entire session, with Adam Contessa coming in to replace Sherlock late in the piece.
Sherlock was later named the official man-of-the-match.
