‘TWO BENDIGO CROWNS IN A ROW FOR W.D.C.A….’

The WDCA won its sixth – and arguably most emphatic – Bendigo Country Week Premiership at Bell Oval, Strathdale, today.

Under a blazing summer sun, and in a match reduced to 35 overs because of the anticipated extreme heat conditions, the Division 2 competition leaders faced off against Colac for the second successive day.

Added to that, play got under way at the unearthly hour of 9am, a time when some of the stragglers of yesteryear would have only just bedded down after a hefty night of commiserations.

But it was worth the effort. The WDCA again batted superbly to reach 8/205 (at just under 6 an over) – a total that was always going to be defendable.

Colac had not troubled the scorers when they lost their first wicket, and were right up against it after gun batsman Des Flanigan fell to the persistent right-arm pace of Richie Worcester. They finished with 7/160, continually tied down by a disciplined WDCA attack………
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The seeds of success were sown on Day 1, when Beechworth pace duo, Worcester and Mark Butters dismantled the Maryborough upper-order at the stately Queen Elizabeth Oval.

Worcester, who has been an unsung hero for the Wanderers for many years, finished with 3/50. Butters – an ideal foil – captured 3/24 off his 11.3 overs.
Joe Thomas, a real work-horse throughout the week, was his usual economical-self. His 2/20 came off 12 overs.

In pursuit of 167, openers Reed Clarke (39) and Luke Whitten (30) got off to a flier, adding 79 runs in quick time. From there, the brilliant Yarrawonga youngster Matt Casey (59) and Greta’s English recruit Tom Nightingale (71), put the icing on the cake, as the WDCA totalled 4/223.
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The clash against Red Cliffs followed a similar pattern. Butters (2/34), Thomas (3/46) and Mitch Howe (2/21) restricted the team from the state’s north-west to 180.

But centre-stage was taken by Casey, who again underlined his immense talent by belting an unbeaten century off just 132 balls, to take his side to 6/228.
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With successive victories, the WDCA had moved to the head of the ladder, but their encounter with Portland was to prove a real nail-biter.

Seven players reached double-figures, but it was a 63-run fourth-wicket partnership between Jacob Schonafinger (39) and Tom Nightnigale (57) which laid the foundations for another sizeable score.

Burly Andrew Squires (31), Cam Notttle and Sam Gladstone produced handy cameos to push the total up to 8/218.

Portland were always there or thereabouts, thanks to opener James Wilson and a punishing knock of 52 off 42 balls from Joe Atwell. They had struggled to get on top of the lanky orthodox left-armer Thomas, whose 12 overs yielded 3/17.

But the telling moment came when Atwell, who threatened to take his side to victory, was dismissed by Sam Gladstone, with the score on 206.

They lost another wicket on the same total and eventually finished nine runs shy – 9/209.
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So the two unbeaten sides – WDCA and Colac – drew swords at Harry Trott Oval on Thursday, with the prize being a certain spot in the Final.

And Wang were soon up against it. Worcester rattled the stumps in his opening over, to have Colac 1/2, but a dynamic Parker- Flanigan second-wicket gave them the ascendancy. Skipper Schonafinger sent Parker on his way for 50, but Flanigan found plenty of support in his classic innings of 98.

Colac’s 6/224 was formidable, but the experts considered that a good start was of the utmost importance.

They could scarcely have been happier when Reed Clarke and Luke Whitten produced another pearler. Their stand of 100 (Whitten’s contribution was 37) was solidified when the Lakers’ pair, Clarke ( 87) and Matt Casey (53) kept the run-rate moving along impressively.

The final total- 6/246 – looked on paper, to be a reasonably comfortable result, but, in truth, there was never a lot in the game………..
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It did, however, give the WDCA an important psychological advantage when news came through that Colac were to be their Grand Final opponent.

But things don’t always go to plan in cricket – particularly at Country Week – where a opposing player who gives you the impression that he’s a ‘scrubber’ can produce an innings of quality. Or two or three of your batsmen, who have been in rare touch all week, are back in the pavilion in the flick of an eye.

Schonafinger, fortunately, won the toss and elected to bat in the furnace-like atmosphere, but that’s when things momentarily began to go astray.

Openers Clarke and Whitten both fell early. At 2/10 it was horror start. It necessitated another fine Casey knock, as he had already totalled 220 runs for the week. But he was soon on his way for 11 and the WDCA were precariously-placed at 3/42.

It required a skipper’s hand. Schonafinger and Nightingale, who had more than proved his worth during the week, knuckled down an kept the run-rate flowing. With just 35 overs to play with, caution could only be applied in small doses.

They pushed the score to 117 before Schona’s bright 59-ball knock ended just one short of a deserving half-ton.

With just 12 overs remaining, it was crucial to push on. Nightingale garnered support from the dashing Squires, Mitch Howe and Joe Thomas, in his first innings for the week, to take the score to a highly-respectable 8/205. Nightingale’s 62 gave him 203 runs for the series.

The two batsmen who had proved such an obstacle on Thursday, were both dismissed cheaply by Worcester, who had excelled on his maiden visit to Bendigo.

There was plenty of resistance from the Colac lower-order, but they found it difficult to regain the ascendency, or up the run-rate.

Joe Thomas, operating superbly, despite the enticingly-small Ball Oval leg-side boundary, sent down his seven overs to capture 3/21, and again be the pick of an impressive bunch.

The boy from Oxfordshire, who will probably never again be subjected to conditions such as this, wheeled down 56 economical overs for the Week, in collecting his 12 wickets.

So the WDCA players returned in triumph from City of Gold for the second straight year. With the benefit of a similarlay-strong outfit, will be keen to acquit themselves well in Bendigo’s Premier Division…….