Above: Springvale South is the 2006-07 DDCA Turf One champion. Back from left, Craig Slocombe, Glen Tyrer, Gavin Fewkes, Jason Quirk, Danny Law. Middle: Steve Aitken, Lance MacDougall, Peter Ryan. Front: Greg Scott, Andrew Sharp, Rory Ingram, Bobby Gray.By Glen Atwell
SPRINGVALE South won its seventh Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf One flag after defeating Berwick by nine runs in an epic grand final on Saturday and Sunday.
The Bloods (127 and 159) emerged victorious after surviving an early evening surge from Berwick (90 and 9/187) as twilight descended on Keysborough’s Wachter Reserve.
Low scores and tight bowling were again the norm as the pressure of playing finals reached an enthralling and dramatic climax.
Springvale South captain Craig Slocombe won the all-important coin toss and elected to bat on what appeared a run-friendly wicket.
But in an instant, the Bloods had been reduced to 3/13.
Rory Ingram (1), Slocombe (5) and Lance MacDougall (1) were early morning victims of the Berwick pace attack and when Andrew Sharp (3) became Simon Cornell’s third wicket, the score was 4/22 and the outlook grim.
Danny Law and Jason Quirk batted patiently to build the score, but wickets soon began falling in fast succession.
With Springvale South on 9/69, Berwick had victory in sight, but a 56-run final wicket partnership forged by Bobby Gray (38) and Peter Ryan (23 not out), kept their team in the game.
Early wickets aside, Berwick was in the box seat at 3/43 and seemed assured of a comfortable first innings lead.
Enter Bobby Gray for 12 overs, five maidens and figures of 6/21.
Gray’s wickets included the prized scalp of Ash Henry (0), Ryan Crawford (0) and Rohan Nancarrow (0).
Wachter Reserve had become a duck pond.
Berwick crumbled from 3/43 to be all out for 90.
Springvale South had secured first innings points, was 37 runs clear and the grand final had been turned on its head.
Wielding the willow for the second time, Springvale South again struggled to gain any real momentum against the Berwick attack.
Paceman Simon Cornell continued to prove a thorn in the Bloods’ side and finished the game with 6/38.
Openers Ingram (7) and Slocombe (12) failed again, but a glorious half-century to Law (51), combined with 18 runs from MacDougall, added 65 for Springvale South’s third wicket.
Henry (3/70) took hold of the leather and eased the flow of runs, and, along with Jarryd Goodes (2/13), tied down the Springvale South batsmen long enough to turn false shots into much-needed wickets.
Reliable lower-order batsman Ryan added another 23 runs not out before the Springvale South tail collapsed with three ducks to end the second innings on 159.
The equation was simple – Berwick needed 197 from 29 overs to capture the Turf One crown.
Openers Alecs Roberts and Dave Hampton wasted no time and attacked relentlessly, smashing 33 runs from the first three overs.
The pressure was back on Springvale South.
Glorious cover drives and a number of lusty slashes entertained the crowd before Roberts was clean-bowled by a Gavin Fewkes inswinger for 12.
Fewkes soon struck again, again and again, removing Hampton for 34, Nancarrow (3) and Jarrod Goodes (4).
Henry batted superbly, but his classy innings of 75 overshadowed by the wickets that continued to fall.
Gray (9/73 for the match) was once again magical with the ball and removed another three batsmen in the second innings.
When he dismissed Simon Carr (11) and the scoreboard read 7/119, Berwick’s hope had quickly faded.
But with Henry firmly installed at the crease anything was possible, and he and Cornell, pushed singles and slowly edged toward the required total.
As darkness descended, Berwick needed 15 runs from the final over.
Henry pushed a single from Law’s first ball and an overthrow allowed the batsmen to scamper through for a second run.
Needing 13 runs from five balls, Henry then attempted to blast a boundary through mid-wicket but the full-pitch delivery swung past his bat and cannoned into the stumps.
It was the death rattle that ended any chance of a Berwick win.
Brendan Lloyd was the last batsman in, but he and Cornell could manage only singles from the final four balls.
Law had bowled the perfect final over and Springvale South was declared champion.
Gray was named the Damien Fleming Medallist for his 9/73 with the ball and 38 runs with the bat.
It was Springvale South’s seventh DDCA Turf One flag – a collection only surpassed by the eight that adorn the St Mary’s clubrooms.
