Bowlers in final control

ARNOLD has taken home the Miller Premiership Shield for the second year in a row following its nine-run victory over Kingower as the Upper Loddon Junior cricket season came to a close on the weekend.

The grand final, played at Bridgewater on a well grassed ,lush outfield was always going to be a challenge to the junior players in trying to pierce the infield and so it proved as only three batsmen were able to reach double figures for the game.

No boundaries were hit in both innings with the bowlers being able to control the game.

The game commenced on Saturday under the watchful eyes of umpires Harry Mc Kinley and Toby Naughton with Arnold winning the toss and electing to bat.

They were soon in trouble with Kale Hewitt being run out without scoring attempting a second run that was never there.

Campbell Hancock was playing a lone hand as wickets tumbled around him and it wasn’t until Seth Hewitt joined him at the fall of the fifth wicket before a partnership of substance was achieved.

The pair added 21 runs before Hewitt was dismissed just short of the lunch break. The innings was wound up shortly after the break with Hancock finally being dismissed scoring 38 of the 51 runs scored of the bat in a final total of 63.

Three Kingower bowlers took two wickets, Isaac JohnstoneMcCloud, Tyler and Riley Murphy with Evan McCoy and Ryder Smith each claiming one.

Although only defending a total of 63, Arnold was still in the game if they could strike early in the 50 odd minutes left until stumps. Hancock was again in the action, being instrumental in taking two of the three wickets

By MICHAEL ROSE

to fall early and have Kingower struggling at three for 15.

Jackson Luckman and Riley Murphy however were able to steady the ship and Kingower went to stumps, three wickets down for 34 with the game still in the balance.

Start of play on Sunday saw Luckman and Murphy take their partnership to a game high of 22 before Murphy was well caught by Ryan Smith at backward square leg.

Luckman and Morgan Lonza pushed the score onto 48 before Flynn Lock was introduced into the attack. Lock struck a huge blow when he cleaned bowled top scorer Luckman in his second over for 17 and then proved more than a handful for the Kingower tail claiming the last four wickets for just one run.

Lock finished with the impressive figures of 5-4 and along with Hancock’s two wickets and Seth Hewitt’s three helped bowl Arnold to a premiership.

Immediately following the game, Arnold’s captain Campbell Hancock was presented with the Miller Premiership Shield along with medallions to all of his team mates.

It was certainly no surprise that Hancock was awarded the player of the final medallion by the two umpires.

ARNOLD d KINGOWER Arnold

C. Hancock c Luckman b Johnstone-McCloud 38

K. Hewitt run out (J. Luckman) 0

F. Lock c E. McCoy b Johnstone-McCloud 1

M. Whitton c M. Lonza b R. Murphy 0

R. Smith b R. Murphy 1

C. Alexander b E. McCoy

S. Hewitt c R. Smith b T. Murphy

Boort grandly shakes off monkey to claim cup

AFTER heartache over the past five years in junior cricket grand finals, the monkey is finally off the back of the young Boort Yando side.

The young Pies dispensed the monkey in style winning the Northern District under 16 premiership over Kerang on Saturday to complete an undefeated season.

Boort Yando won the toss and elected to bowl. It was a slow start for Boort with Kerang racking up some quick runs.

A nervous catch from Cooper Gooding off Jake O’Flaherty’s accurate bowling got the boys up and about.

A brilliant bowl from Deklan King got Kerang’s Harry Pearson out for seven which really built the confidence.

Superb bowling by Jacob Malone who took two vital wickets and another dead eyed delivery by Finlay Arnold saw Kerang 4/64.

Boort went into bat very shakily with some tough bowling competition.

Cooper and Jake were dismissed within the first five overs which saw the hearts racing within the crowd. The monkey was felt creeping up the back again.

But the monkey was soon sent packing with the brilliant batting performance of Owen Byrne who steadied ‘the ship’, with a superb 28 runs not out and with help of the King boys, Finlay Arnold, Jacob Malone and Brodie McPherson the boys sailed the ship home to a much deserved and brilliant win.

Owen Byrne was named best in the final while NDCA Fielding award went to Jacob Malone.