WITH Kangaroo Flat languishing at the bottom of the Bendigo District Cricket Association first XI ladder, it seems this weekend’s 10-year premiership reunion couldn’t come at a more opportune time.
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The chance for the young Roos’ players to the hear stories of the glory season of 2003-04 when Kangaroo Flat finally broke through for its first flag and how sweet the ultimate success is may be just the tonic needed at Dower Park to try and find some inspiration in what has been a tough season.
The Roos entered this season optimistic they could build on last year’s positive finish when they won four of their last six games.
But the season has yielded just one win so far against Bendigo.
The struggles of the Roos – not only this season, but since their 2007-08 grand final loss to Bendigo United – are a far cry from 10 years ago when Kangaroo Flat produced one of the most dominant grand final wins in BDCA history.
Kangaroo Flat thumped Strathdale-Maristians by nine wickets in the 2003-04 grand final, turning a potentially tricky chase of 232 into a walk in the park, thanks to the brilliant batting exploits of Tony Taig, Steve Newlan and Andrew Hosking.
The Roos cruised to 1-234 on day two in just 62 overs, with Taig’s finish to the game one of the most memorable in BDCA grand final history.
Taig couldn’t have scripted his grand final innings any better to cap the most dominant season ever of any BDCA batsman.
Taig couldn’t have scripted his grand final innings any better
When Taig reached 56, he set a new record for the most runs in a BDCA season, surpassing Gibson Pritchard’s old record of 916 in 1930-31 for Harcourt.
A super effort that at the time was met with minimal fanfare as there was still the bigger picture of winning a grand final to worry about.
And boy, did Taig win the grand final in style 45 minutes later, smashing Cameron Taylor - sorry to bring it up again Cam - for six to not only bring up the winning runs, but also his ton as he finished unbeaten on 101.
It was Taig’s fifth century of the season and he finished the summer with 962 runs at an average of 87.5, built on scores of 24, 13, 23, 69, 119, 5*, 161, 68, 3, 128, 79*, 103, 66 and 101*.
While Taig savoured the mighty achievement of a grand final century, Steve Newlan was equally as significant in making 83 in a 143-run opening stand, while Hosking helped finish the job with 37 n.o.
It was a long overdue flag considering the Roos had lost eight semi-finals the previous 12 years as the monkey on their back grew bigger each season.
However, the Roos shook their finals hoodoo with not just a supremely talented side, but hard work and dedication to the cause, eventually reaping the ultimate reward, which is a timely message for the current group to hear as it endures this tough period.
• The Roos will hold their premiership reunion from 7pm at the Kangaroo Flat Sports Club on Saturday.
