Noble Park based cricket club Parkfield won a thrilling grand final last weekend against Victoria Vikings to seal the 2025 Mid-Year Cricket Association.
Parkfield got up by one wicket in the final over of a 35-over-per-team contest at Tatterson Reserve, chasing 9/191.
Fourteen-year-old emerging talent Dihain Lokubalasuriya hit the winning runs off the third last ball of the contest, leaving the Vikings to rue two missed run out opportunities earlier in a chaotic final over.
After slumping to 5/102, and missing gun batter Jumin Shaiju for the match due to unavailability, player-of-the-match Nadun Karunarathne and Madurawalage Jayasundara combined for a 66-run partnership to get Parkfield back into the game.
But Jayasundara’s wicket was quickly followed by the downfall of Shaun Fear, captain David Swierzbiolek and Gerard Mirando which swung momentum back in favour of the Vikings, before Lokubalasuriya’s magic.
That Parkfield was chasing just 192 for victory was a testament to the death bowling efforts led by Mirando, with the Vikings giving themselves a sensational platform at 3/170, before losing 6/14.
Mirando was the best of Parkfield’s bowlers with 3/14.
The stunning finish followed a last-ball tie between the two standout teams of the competition during the home and away season.
