Tigers win in grand style

IT was a great win for Mirboo North on Sunday by a side that had a never say die attitude in this year’s Central Gippsland Cricket Association final series.
First it was the history making semi final win off the last ball to get them a grand final berth, but it was the sheer will and determination of the side to come from behind on the second day’s play against the favourite Latrobe who have been in the last six Grand Finals but still not tasted success
Mirboo North’s side, with a blend of youth and experience, will go down in history as one of the greatest team efforts to get a flag.
Starting the day at 3 for 80 Latrobe was in the box seat with seven wickets in hand and 60 runs to get, but again on a wicket that was hard to score on and an outfield that was extremely slow and lush, the runs were at a premium and with Bloomfield not adding to his score from last week and then Kennedy Johnson out at 85 and back in the pavilion as Josh Taylor bowled with venom and great line to unsettle with two wickets and Liam Smit with a wicket.
Freshwater hung around to thwart the bowling but when he went with the score at 90 the side really sensed it had the game for the taking.
When Gamage was dismissed by Phoenix for two the game swung in favour of Mirboo North but then enter 17 year old Brett Zomer and Brendan Evans who got their collective heads down and batted to lunch and the momentum swung in favour of Latrobe and at 8 for 119 the game was open again for the both sides to stake a claim for victory.
Mirboo North’s medium and fast bowling was tremendous as well as the chasing down of runs in the field to restrict Latrobe to 39 runs off 34 exhilarating overs.
The rest break proved decisive for Mirboo North as both Taylor and Smit were swung back into the attack, but Zomer who had batted so well for 21 in 75 minutes of tenacious defence, snicked one to Mates behind the stumps off Liam Smit at 124.
The game was back in Mirboo North’s favour and then Josh Taylor who had bowled superbly all day got the final breakthrough of Evans for 16 after an hour at the crease, bowled on the score of 124.
Latrobe’s destiny was sealed in what can only be described as a brilliant team effort.
But with some 60 overs left Mirboo North batted out 24 overs with Shane Peter rock steady on 28, Jesse Giardina unlucky to be run out on 17 and Adam Mates made a very patient eight.
With the score on 2 for 62 Latrobe conceded defeat after some 164 overs and only 350 runs scored in what was a thrilling game of tight and unrelenting cricket.
What an effort from a side that refused to give in and never gave up right to the end of two days of tense combative cricket.

A glorious win: the victorious Mirboo North Cricket Club team won an historic Central Gippsland Cricket Association Grand Final against Latrobe on Sunday.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Mar 30 2016. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry