Despite having the odds stacked against them Golf Club came out on top to convincingly win the senior cricket 2015/2016 premiership title on Saturday.
Golf Club easily chased down Nymagee’s first innings total of 159 by the 34th over with four wickets to spare in this season’s grand final game played at Ward Oval.
After winning the toss, Golf Club sent Nymagee in to bat to defend the premiership title they won last year.
However Nymagee didn’t get off to an ideal start with opener Jade Buckman dismissed early with the score 1/4.
Nymagee captain Craig Dillon, who’d opened with Buckman and top scored for Nymagee with 36, had good partnerships with Mathew Nicholson and Phil Harley before he was eventually dismissed with the score at 3/62 in the 16th over.
Nicholson contributed 15 and Harley added 13 to Nymagee’s total.
Nearly all of Nymagee’s batters reached double figures with Roger Mitchell finishing with 18, Michael Furner chipped in with 32, Tony Polack scored 15 and Matt Dillon 14.
Dane Fisher, having a blinder in the field for Golf Club, finished the day with sensational bowling figures of 5/11.
It was his first ‘five for’ haul in the Cobar & District Senior Cricket competition and the effort also earned him the Player of the Grand Final honour.
Golf Club captain Rob Childs grabbed two wickets for 19; Kapil Gohel took 2/41 and Will Whitton had 1/17 with Nymagee all out for 156 in the 37th over.
In contrast to Nymagee’s innings, Golf Club’s openers got their side off to a flying start with Rob Childs (40) and Steve Leedham (26) putting Golf Club into a good position early in their run chase.
Childs was the first to depart in the 13th over with the score at 53. He was caught off the bowling of John Potter.
Potter grabbed his second wicket immediately after bowling Joel Mawhinney for a golden duck and Golf Club was 2/53.
Craig Youd then came to the crease and set about destroying Nymagee’s dreams of back-to-back premierships.
Youd was inspirational, top scoring for Golf Club and smashing six sixes and three fours on his way to a game high score of 61.
He was eventually caught by Bryan Mitchell off the bowling of Phil Harley late in Golf Club’s innings.
Kapil Gohel (14 not out) was still at the crease in the 34th over when Golf Club had passed Nymagee’s total.
Potter finished with bowling figures of 2/41, Furner also had 2/41, Polack 1/0 and Harley finished with 1/36.
Later that night at the club’s end of season presentations, Golf Club captain Rob Childs said he was proud to be able to accept the Billy Manns Memorial Trophy on behalf of his Golf Club team.
The Paula Potter Cricketer of the Year Memorial Trophy was awarded to Kapil Gohel, who also collected the trophy for the Most Wickets with a total of 16.
Other perpetual awards presented on the night were: Lionel Butler U24 Player of the Year Trophy—Joel Mawhinney; Molly Collins U18 Player of the Year—Bryan Mitchell; Most Improved U18—Wyatt Proudlove; Harry Marshall Memorial Trophy Gentleman of Cricket—Bryan Manns; Tony Chalker Memorial Trophy Clubman of the Year—Tony Polack; Representative Cricketer of the Year—Stephen Nicholson; Steve Wetzel Memorial Trophy for Best All Rounder—Michael Furner.
Rob Childs collected the award for the Most Runs with a total of 203. Furner claimed the Highest Score award with 100.
The Best Bowling Figures for the season belonged to Cobar & District Cricket veteran Craig Dillon with 3/3 and Fielding Awards were presented to Mawhinney and Josh Brown.
In the Twenty/20 competition, Stewart Fraser collected several awards including Twenty/20 Player of the Year, Most Runs and Highest Score trophies.
The Most Sixes of the season were hit by Chris Gilbert with a total of 21.
The Most Wickets award went to Wyatt Proudlove with a total of 10.
Peter Robinson had the Best Bowling Figures for the season with 4-1.
John Paul Best and Zeb Best were awarded the Best Fielding trophies.
