A YEAR ago the pressure got the better of Eaglehawk on day two of the Bendigo District Cricket Association grand final when it faltered late with the bat in sight of victory.
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However, 12 months on the Hawks learned from the lessons of last year’s seven-run loss to Strathdale-Maristians to capture their first premiership for 11 years with a three-wicket triumph over Bendigo United at the QEO.
Chasing Bendigo United’s 9-158, the pressure was on the Hawks when they fell to 6-102 in the 51st over on Sunday and the momentum was with the Redbacks after leg-spinner Nick Crawford had taken the wickets of Cam McGlashan and Anthony West in quick succession.
But with the game in the balance, it was the cool heads of Matt Fitt and Zac East who guided the Hawks out of what had loomed as a threatening position.
Together, they batted the Redbacks out of the game during what was the only period of the match in which the batsmen were able to look comfortable at the crease.
Runs didn’t flow freely on either day, but East was able to tick the scoreboard over with solid support from Fitt as the pair added 54 for the seventh wicket in what was the best partnership of the match.
East missed out on the opportunity to be at the crease when the winning runs were hit when he fell victim to a brilliant one-handed catch by Mark Di Fede at gully off Redbacks’ captain Leigh McDermott with the Hawks just three runs from their target.
East’s knock of 28 off 64 was the second highest-score of the game and he now has a BDCA flag to go with his six football premierships with Bridgewater in the Loddon Valley league.
With East’s dismissal, fittingly it gave Eaglehawk captain Cory Jacobs the chance to be at the crease with Fitt for the winning runs in what was an anti-climatic finish to the season.
The game ended when Jacobs (2 n.o.) flicked McDermott down to fine leg for two. However, it was also a no-ball, giving the Hawks the three runs they needed for victory on the fifth ball of the 71st over.
Fitt, now a three-time Eaglehawk premiership player, ended the innings with another not out – 21 – to lift his average across his past six knocks to 117.5.
As well as Fitt and East, the other key innings of the Hawks’ successful run-chase was McGlashan, who came in with Eaglehawk under early pressure at 2-26 in the seventh over.
But he remained calm in the situation and together with Matt Ford added 31 for the third wicket.
McGlashan withstood a spirited onslaught from Clayton Holmes (0-30 of 18), who bowled with plenty of venom, and while he only scored off one of his first 42 balls faced, he denied the Redbacks the chance to get stuck into the Hawks’ middle-order with the ball still relatively new.
McGlashan batted the longest of any player in the grand final in spending 136 balls at the crease in making 26 before he was the sixth wicket to fall when he edged a Crawford delivery to Heath Behrens in the 51st over.
Opener Ford’s 22 was also a key contribution during his 29-over stint.
The game’s most controversial moment came 10 minutes before tea when Josh Collinson was given out for 14 with the score on 75.
Collinson played a sweep shot off Crawford that cannoned into Ben Gunn at bat pad and ricocheted to wicket-keeper Donegan.
Collinson, who had looked ominous in his innings of 14, was given out, but reacted poorly to the decision in what wasn’t a good look, remaining at the crease and venting his frustration at the umpires, believing the ball had bounced before smacking into Gunn.
Donegan’s catch of Collinson was one of three wickets he was involved in as he also caught Ford and stumped Anthony West (12).
Crawford finished as the Redbacks’ leading wicket-taker with 3-50 off 17 overs and had loomed as a major threat to the Hawks when he switched to the city end and took the wickets of West and McGlashan with the score on 101 and 102.
McDermott claimed 2-22 off 16 tight overs, while Miggy Podosky (2-37 off 13) gave the Redbacks the perfect start early.
Podosky claimed the key wicket of Andrew Smith (8) in the first over of the day. After Smith had hit eight runs off the first five deliveries, including one sweet drive straight down the ground for four, Podosky hit back by bowling him.
He also bowled Taylor-Walsh medallist Shane Murdoch (9) in the seventh over the ball after he had been hit for consecutive cover drive boundaries.
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SCORING BREAKDOWN
Over 5 – 1-15
Ford 3, Murdoch 1.
Over 10 – 2-35
Ford 12, McGlashan 2.
Over 15 – 2-37
Ford 13, McGlashan 2.
Over 20 – 2-43
Ford 19, McGlashan 2.
Over 25 – 2-49
Ford 20, McGlashan 6.
Over 30 – 3-63
McGlashan 14,
Collinson 3.
Over 35 – 3-75
McGlashan 15,
Collinson 14.
Over 40 – 4-82
McGlashan 18, West 3.
Over 45 – 4-94
McGlashan 22, West 10.
Over 50 – 5-102
McGlashan 26, Fitt 1.
Over 55 – 6-118
East 9, Fitt 5.
Over 60 – 6-133
East 17, Fitt 11.
Over 65 – 6-143
East 24, Fitt 14.
Over 70 – 6-156
East 28, Fitt 21.
Over 70.5 – 7-159
Fitt 21, Jacobs 2.