Parkfield ends drought

By Stuart Teather
PARKFIELD is the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 premier after shocking Springvale South in the season decider at Keysborough Reserve on the weekend.
The club recorded its first premiership in 15 years with a convincing 75-run win over the Souths.
“It was the best day in the club’s history,” said an elated captain Dale Harris.
Harris, and president Tony Payne, were the only two members in the team who also played in the 1994 premiership.
“I thought it would never happen to me again, it was great,” he said.
The win defied all predictions after Springvale South went through the regular season undefeated and was on track to claim its third flag in five years.
In the final round of the regular season, Springvale South smashed Parkfield by six wickets, but the tables were turned in the grand final as Parkfield’s bowlers demolished the Souths’ batsmen.
Parkfield posted 7/205 on Saturday after slumping to 4/76 at the end of a rain-affected day one a week earlier.
Brad Houghton survived the Springvale South bowling blitz to top-score with 97, combining with Payne (21) and Daniel Ferguson (42) down the order to set a reasonable target.
Springvale South looked the goods early on when it took to the crease, and Rory Ingram (26) got the scoreboard ticking over.
But that was as good as it was going to get for the Souths – a stunning spell from Parkfield’s Mark Butters and Shane Bell saw Springvale South lose 5/11, effectively ending the side’s tilt at the flag.
Butters was the star of the match scooping 6/40 off 16.5 overs, and Bell was a brilliant support with 3/23 off seven.
Harris was full of praise for man-of-the-match Butters after the game.
“He’s six-foot-four, and he gets bounce. Because he’s tall and he bowls from height, he just gets bounce that other players in the whole grand final weren’t getting.
“I bowled him 13 overs in a row on the Saturday and I thought I might’ve killed him – every time I went to give him a rest he got a wicket,” he added with a laugh.
In even better news for the club, the Turf 3 side defeated Silverton in the grand final, completing an unexpected double.
“It’s a great day for the Parkfield Cricket Club. We’re hoping to be a strong club in the league and we’re on the right track,” Harris said.