COLLEGE has defended its 2021-22 Hamilton and District Cricket Association A grade title, going back-to-back and claiming the 2022-23 Dundas Cup honours on Saturday at Monivae College.

The Eagles were in a strong position after the opening weekend and Grampians needed quick wickets to force a second innings chase on the third and final day of the season.

Hamish Bailey (four-not-out) and Lachie Watt (three-not-out) continued from day two with College starting the day on 2-37.

Another 43 runs were added without loss before Ryan Burgess finally struck Watt’s pad in line to dismiss the nightwatchman for 10.

Bailey notched up his half century and fell soon after for 55, giving the Pumas a sniff of a collapse with the Eagles vulnerable at 4-96.

Adrian Burn and Russell Bennett joined forces and combined to add 127 runs, taking the Eagles through to beyond the afternoon tea break, with play resuming and played for 35 minutes before players shook hands to prematurely end the game with Grampians unable to get the wickets required to create a second innings result.

Lachie Watt was named Player of the Match for his four wickets and combined 14 runs, 10 of which came after he went in as nightwatchman late on day two.

Eagles skipper, Charles Murrie said it was exciting to tick off a longer format Dundas Cup win for the group.

“It was a great day last year and great for the club, but I think we all knew with such belief in our group that we wanted to go on and do it the traditional way,” he said.

“We stuck at it and did what we needed to do and there are so many blokes who deserve it, it is a great feeling.

“To play it against such a quality opponent and to grind it out over three days, it just feels great.”

With College claiming first innings points on the opening weekend, all the team had to do was bat out the day to claim victory, but early wickets would have caused some angst among the Eagles.

“You never really know, it is a really funny game,” Murrie said.

“I was just so happy to see from the first ball that Hamish (Bailey) and Lachie (Watt) looked so solid out there.

“Full credit to the way the boys stuck to it and I am just so proud of everyone, it is a great testament to a team game of cricket, the performances of 12 players we had playing over the past two weekends.”

A team which hasn’t had too many changes in the past five years, College has continued to work hard and built from within to become the dominant A grade team of the past two seasons.

Murrie said the group had developed and improved through playing regularly together, along with other opportunities which have been taken with both hands.

“I would have agreed we hadn’t done too much with a good team, but we stuck at it and kept our group together, improved and even going down to other tournaments like Sungold Cup,” he said.

“I have watched everyone grow and it has been good to see we have responded.

“We have worked hard at it for the past month, we didn’t have the greatest season and we have been a bit inconsistent, but this is what we’ve built up for and just glad it turned out the way it did.”

With three of four genuine Player of the Match candidates and most coming from College, Murrie said the ability for each player to step up when they needed to was important in the season decider.

“Russell Bennett has had one of the toughest seasons with a bit of bad luck, then he comes out in the semi-final and makes 95, and has made effectively made 200 runs in two games of cricket, which is almost double what he made for the rest of the season,” he said.

“Burnsy has been hitting the ball the best I have seen him hit it for the last month, Henry has been bowling the best I have seen, and Bustle (Watt) really pulled one out of the hat today and last week as well, he is a real fighter and he is a fantastic cricketer.”

The Pumas knew early wickets was the key to unlocking a path to victory, but the bowlers were unable to generate enough chances.

Grampians captain, Will Collins said it was always going to be a tough ask to fight back after the way the first two days had panned out.

“It was always going to be a battle for us, we were behind the eight ball,” he said.

“During the week, you sort of toss up a few scenarios that might happen, but nothing really went out way today.

“I think we probably thought the pitch would be a little bit juicier than what it was, obviously that doesn’t win it for us but as a bowling side you always hope for that.

“But the game was probably won and lost last week with us not quite getting enough runs.

“Every match you lose is one you learn in, we have still got a fairly young side and this is definitely a learning experience and it is hard to get the finals-like experience in the regular season, we had a tight semi-final and a three-day contest in the grand final.”

The last of runs on day two proved costly, with Collins comparing the two teams’ batting efforts in what was a considerable difference.

“I a not going to take away from College’s bowling performance, but we just didn’t have enough people who got in,” he said.

“For us, it was really only Polks (Tom Polkinghorne) and Zac (Burgess) who got themselves in and then were able to go on and start scoring, whereas College probably had four or five who contributed to their first innings.

“College never really gave us an inch with bad balls or anything and when we offered them chances, they took them.”

Collins was impressed with his English leg-spinner and the way he handled the pressure of the game in the first innings.

Harrison Wood bowled 47 overs across the three days and carried much of the bowling load for the Pumas.

“He bowls a lot of overs, we expect a lot of him because we know how good he is,” Collins said.

“He was probably disappointed in how he bowled (on Saturday), but still picked up a couple of wickets in the second innings.”