IT is grand final day in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association with B, C and D grade deciders played this afternoon.
B GRADE
THE Kevin Myers Cup is on the line today when Tahara and St Andrew’s meet at Dahl Turf in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) B grade Grand Final.
When discussions about the B Grade competition erupt, the rivalry between Tahara and St Andrew’s always comes to the fore.
It seems these two clubs have seemingly been locked in battle for the title for the last 20-25 years, so many times they have met in the grand final in that time.
Since the HDCA started back in 1938, St Andrew’s has won the tile 17 times, while Tahara has been successful six times.
The names from the past just roll off the tongue, such as Dimond, Van Kalken, and Caruana for the Drews, and Pepper, Myers, Goodman for the Bluecaps.
Today some of those names are still there, but now it’s sons rather than fathers who carry the flame for the respective clubs.
Tahara finished the summer as minor premier after losing only one game for the season, while St Andrew’s was a close second to the Bluecaps, losing only a single match and separated by seven wickets.
There is little between the two batting orders for the number of runs scored by each team for the summer and the grand final will come down to which bowling attack gains dominance over the opposition.
Tahara grabbed a grand final sport after thrashing Hamilton North in its semi-final with a nine-wicket victory, while St Andrew’s did similar against College Eagles, winning by seven wickets.
Runs will be at a premium for both teams, as the respective bowling attacks are full of stars who can win a match on their own.
St Andrew’s will rely on left arm fast-medium bowler, Josh Nield, to continue to mine the rich form vein he has tapped into during his last three matches. to see the new ball bowler grab an astonishing nine wickets for only 14 runs from 24 overs, including a return of 6-1 against College Eagles.
The Drews are far from a one man show though, as Baily Walsh rewarded the selectors’ faith in him with 16 wickets to his credit this summer, while Harley Simpson, Connor Burns and Ben Packman round out a formidable attack.
Tahara has advantage over their opposition in that it has a specialist spin bowler in Brett Holmes who was into the attack as first change bowler against Hamilton North in the semi-final and may well be called on to do the same today.
With Marcus Rhook and Luke Barnes taking the new ball and Jack Rhook and Hamish Myers delivering the all-important middle overs, the Bluecaps also have a strong bowling unit.
The match begins at 1pm.
C GRADE
THE players in the Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) C grade Grand Final can be forgiven for thinking that time has stood still for the last 12 months, as St Andrew’s Saints and Casterton District face off again in the last match of the summer just as they did last season.
The two teams competed in the HDCA B-C grade, which saw the association combine the teams that nominated for the B and C grades into one competition to alleviate the small number of B grade nominations.
The HDCA then split the top eight teams into a final four for each grade with St Andrew’s Saints finishing fifth and Casterton District sixth (which became first and second for C grade finals).
Comparing the two sides to those of 12 months ago, and each only has three members that have survived for their club from one year to the next.
These teams had vastly different semi-final victories with the Saints getting over Grampians by only six runs in a great game, while Casterton District smashed Byaduk by nine wickets after routing the Ducks for 54.
Jedd Rhook grabbed a ‘Michelle’ in that semi-final, but he and the rest of the Maroons attack will find the Drews a vastly different proposition today with a batting order that will value their wickets above all else.
With Rylan Pech and Craig Dimond at the top of the order, the Drews have an opening combination that combine beautifully with Dimond’s aggression and Pech’s defence that has the side building the tally upon a solid foundation.
While Heath Pither is solid as well, Barry Pech, Simon Dickson, Harry Harris and Nathan Flack are shot makers who will build upon the foundation set up by the top three.
The game in which the Maroons’ batting order was tested was the last home and away round when the team played a tie with Grampians, as Jedd Rhook posted a classy 77-not-out at number three and he will be the key wicket for the Drews attack today alongside Mark Penny.
Rhook played a lone hand in that game but he needs Mark Widdicombe and Tom Rowland to give him assistance with the willow, as the side looks to post a target that the Drew’s cannot reach.
The respective bowling attacks took virtually the same number of wickets for the same runs conceded so it will come down to which attack can restrict the run rate of the opposition in deciding this match.
The game begins at 1pm at Melville Oval.
D GRADE
REIGNING D grade premier of the Hamilton and District Cricket Association, Tahara must overcome an undefeated Macarthur team if it hopes to defend the hard-won title of last summer when the teams meet in the grand final at Kennedy Oval today.
Tahara went through the 2021-22 summer undefeated but has a different team this summer, while Macarthur has been a powerhouse in the grade for a number of seasons, but this season has a very talented unit donning the blue and red.
The Demons are a strong side with skipper, Bingham Jarrett, wicketkeeper Ian Brilley, and all-rounder Matt Timms, all A grade premiership winners who have performed in most matches.
Timms has three centuries and three fifties to his credit and is the key wicket for the Tahara bowlers, while Jarrett and Brilley have also wielded the willow well this summer, scoring a hundred of their own.
Add to this trio the talents of Mick Herring, Chris Moutray, Riley Dark and Lachie Nield, and the Demons have the batting strength to post a target that will be tough for Tahara to reach.
That target will be defended by Jarrett, Nield, Riley Dark and Darcy Jones who have performed most of the bowling this summer, but as it’s a grand final Timms may well be thrown the ball too.
The Bluecaps know the task that is ahead of them and the experience of Colin Myers will be at the forefront, leading the team hopefully to another title.
Myers has done it all in his career and has stood back mainly this season to give the youngsters in the club more time with the bat and ball in hand, but in the semi-final he stood tall, grabbing 4-9 with the ball in a spell that turned the game in the Bluecaps’ favour.
He will wait until Fletcher Wheeler, Alexander McAdam, Harry Goodman and Zane McCallum have posed a tough examination for the Macarthur players then come on with extra credit questions they have to be able to deal with for the Demons to win.
Wheeler, Goodman, Brandon Disson, Myers and Ben Kamp form a formidable top order for Tahara that is topped off by the stunning form of Damien Hogan, who belted 95 from only 80 balls in the semi-final last Saturday.
Despite Macarthur being near unbackable favourites, the match could well be the closest of all four men’s grand finals, as the Tahara players know how to win the big games and can draw on their experience of 12 months prior.
