The force was definitely with the Empire on Saturday after they defeated Nymagee by two wickets in the 40 Overs senior cricket grand final at Ward Oval.
After they won the toss and elected to bat first, Nymagee should have heeded the advice: “Don’t underestimate the Force” of the Empire.
Their innings got off to disastrous start with Empire’s opening bowler Tristan Everett knocking over both of the Magpies’ openers.
Mitch Holt was clean bowled in the first over for a duck and Jade Buckman went shortly after for a seven runs reducing Nymagee to 2/14.
Stephen Nicholson and Phil Harley then came together at the crease and, when they shared in a 50-run partnership, it looked like Nymagee was starting to get on top.
Nicholson was however then dismissed for 34 runs off the bowling of Ryan Urquhart with the score at 3/64. James McClure joined Harley at the crease and together they once again steadied the innings until Empire threw the ball to unlikely hero, Jed Noonan.
Noonan forcefully ripped through the remainder of the Nymagee batting line-up taking six wickets and conceding just 20 runs in his seven overs.
First to go was Harley for 34 with the score now 4/99.
Nymagee then lost six wickets for just 18 runs as Noonan dismissed McClure (10), Matt Nicholson (3), Tony Polack (2), Rhys Lloyd (3) and Matt Bolam (0).
Nicola Harbison picked up the wicket of Peter Robinson, who went for four.
By the 33rd over Nymagee were bowled out for a total of 117.
Empire’s proven powerful batting line-up was not expected to be troubled chasing the low total.
Grand final games always create added pressure and Empire had a tough 10 over period to bat before the lunch break.
In that time Nymagee took two wickets with Empire opener Tom McKenna (3) caught on the boundary in the first over off Peter Robinson and Jay Egan was caught behind not long after for 15 off the bowling of Phil Harley.
By lunch, Empire was 2/38.
After play resumed, Empire lost five wickets for 27 runs with Harley and Anthony Robertson doing the damage with the ball.
Tarun Bheemireddy (16), Tadgh Waugh (9) and Jed Noonan (0) were bowled, and Ethan Black (0) and Jake Harbison (15) were out LBW.
With their score at 7/65, Empire was in big trouble however their tailenders, David Watson and Tristan Everett, held their nerve and batted with composure. They took the score along to 117 to tie the game and it looked like Empire was home and hosed.
There was however one final twist left in the match when Tony Polack bowled Watson for 17 runs.
Needing only one run to win and with two wickets in hand, Tim Hillam successfully blocked Polack’s bowling attack until Polack put a wide down leg side to give Empire the extra run they needed to finally claim the win.
Everett finished on 34 not out.
Later that night Empire’s captain Ethan Black was pleased to be able to hold aloft the Bert Oldfield Cup and Billy Manns Memorial Shield at the end of season presentations at the Services Club.—contributed
