TWENTY years on from one of the most famous finishes in Bendigo District Cricket Association grand final history, Bendigo captain Tim Alexander can still remember it like it was yesterday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was the 1993-94 grand final between Bendigo and Eaglehawk at the Queen Elizabeth Oval - an epic game that came down to the final ball of the match.
Chasing Bendigo's 280, Eaglehawk started the last over of its innings 9-273, with Kurt Brereton facing and No.11 Darren Rodda at the non-striker's end.
The man with the ball in his hand for what would become one of the most famous overs in BDCA history was leg-spinner Alexander, who had already bowled 43 overs in the innings.
"They had needed something like 15 runs with two overs to go," Alexander recalled on Wednesday ahead of this weekend's 20-year premiership reunion.
"Mark Ryan bowled the second-last over and I remember saying to him, leave me with at least five runs to play with and he left me with seven.
"Kurt Brereton was facing the start of that last over and all I wanted to do was get him off strike. But I couldn't get him off strike until the last ball of the match when Darren Rodda needed three for Eaglehawk to win.
"We set our field for that last ball and I remember throwing up a real slow, high delivery, thinking it would be what Darren least expected.
"So I tossed it up... he came down the wicket to hit me as far as he could, missed it and David Bakes stumped him.
"It was an unbelievable game of cricket."
The flag was Bendigo's first since 1977, while the mighty Eaglehawk had played in every grand final except one since 1978-79.
While the Goers won the flag by two runs after bowling Eaglehawk out for 278, it was Hawks' players who produced the best individual performances of the game.
Eaglehawk opening bowler Andrew Price bagged 7-88 off 26.4 overs on day one, while opening batsman Geoff Findlay made 109 on the second day.
"I reckon they had the best team in the competition, but we had the better-performing team at the time," Alexander said.
Bendigo had Trevor Hamilton (62), keeper-batsman David Bakes (57) and Tony Ryan (51) all post half-centuries.
With the ball, Alexander (3-104) and Mark Ryan (3-50) claimed three wickets each.
Ryan - the current first XI captain - claimed the three big Eaglehawk scalps of Findlay, captain Wayne Walsh (23) and Garry Tupper (38), backing up his six-wicket semi-final performance against Kangaroo Flat the previous week.
The premiership reunion will be held at the Bendigo District RSL from 7.30pm this Saturday. For more information, contact president Tony Fitzpatrick on 0419 332 582.
1993-94 grand final
BENDIGO v EAGLEHAWK
at Queen Elizabeth Oval
Bendigo won toss and batted
Bendigo innings
R. Sadler c L. McRae b A. Price 34
D. Bakes c R. Herbert b T. Rodda 57
D. Trickey run out 17
T. Ryan c K. Brereton b A. Price 51
T. Hamilton b A. Price 62
D. Rennie c L. McRae b A. Price 15
B. Slattery lbw A. Price 0
M. Ryan run out 5
T. Alexander c D. Rodda b A. Price 5
D. Taylor not out 10
D. Schmidt c L. McRae b A. Price 2
Extras 21
Total 280
Fall: 58 (R. Sadler), 100 (D. Trickey), 137 (D. Bakes), 227 (T. Ryan), 246 (T. Hamilton), 248 (B. Slattery), 263 (D. Rennie), 263 (M. Ryan), 268 (T. Alexander), 280 (D. Schmidt).
Bowling: A. Price 26.4-5-7-88, T. Rodda 16-0-1-50, R. Herbert 20-3-0-51, D. Rodda 27-5-0-64, D. Bice 5-1-0-16.
Eaglehawk innings
G. Findlay b M. Ryan 109
A. Price c D. Bakes b D. Taylor 10
W. Walsh b M. Ryan 23
R. Herbert c D. Rennie b D. Taylor 42
D. Bice c D. Bakes b T. Alexander 0
G. Tupper b M. Ryan 38
G. Hartland c T. Ryan b T. Alexander 14
K. Brereton not out 23
T. Rodda run out 0
L. McRae run out 5
D. Rodda stpd D. Bakes b T. Alexander 0
Extras 14
Total 278
Fall: 13 (A. Price), 63 (W. Walsh), 151 (R. Herbert), 151 (D. Bice), 218 (G. Tupper), 250 (G. Findlay), 258 (G. Hartland), 260 (T. Rodda), 273 (L. McRae), 278 (D. Rodda).
Bowling: D. Taylor 22-5-2-55, D. Schmidt 20-4-0-55, T. Alexander 44-9-3-104, M. Ryan 14-3-3-50.
Bendigo won by 2 runs.