By Romy Stephens
Two exciting young cricket stars, Ollie Moran and Zac Grech, helped the Victorian under-15 boys pull off a remarkable win in the National Indoor Cricket Championships on 12 July.
Coming up against indoor powerhouse Queensland, 15-year-old Moran and 14-year-old Grech from the south-eastern suburbs were prolific in leading the Vics to a narrow one-run grand final victory in front of a packed home crowd at Casey Stadium.
The duo’s match-winning batting partnership was hugely influential in the win, while each of the boys took a wicket bowling. Moran also displayed some incredible wicket keeping, including a breathtaking stumping off teammate Prathan Raje.
In what was a thrilling contest all day, it was only fitting that Grech was batting and able to see out the last two balls of the match and Moran was named player of the grand final. The game was described by seasoned commentator Gary Lowe as the “one of the best games of indoor cricket you’ll ever see!”
The boys – who are also close mates – have a history of exceptional performances and firing in the big games. Moran top scored in the Vic Metro Allen Shield grand final in 2018 and assisted in a crucial run out, helping the team win the title.
Last year, Grech was named player of the grand final and player of the tournament at the Under 13s Indoor Nationals, earning selection for Australia at the World Series in New Zealand. In a standout performance at the series, he was Australia’s leading wicket-taker and made more runs than any player at the tournament across all age groups.
