GIVEN the grand final disappointment Eaglehawk has experienced in recent years, victorious Hawks’ skipper Cory Jacobs says it’s a relief to finally get over the line and capture the Bendigo District Cricket Association premiership.
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The Hawks won their first premiership since 2006 with a three-wicket victory over Bendigo United – who they had also beaten for their previous flag 11 years ago – in the weekend’s grand final at the QEO.
The weekend’s victory in which they made 7-159 in reply to the Redbacks’ 9-158 shakes off an unwanted bridesmaids tag for the Hawks given they had lost two of the previous four grand finals.
“There’s a fair bit of relief to get the win today,” said Jacobs, who was a key with the ball on Saturday when he got the two big wickets of Bendigo United’s Clayton Holmes (6) and Heath Behrens (25).
“It takes a fair bit of character to win a grand final batting second and I couldn’t be more prouder of the boys over the two days.
“I reckon you’ve got to feel a bit of hurt before you get some reward, and we’ve definitely felt some hurt over the past few years.
“Grand finals are hard to win and I’m just rapt we’ve been able to do it today.”
The heat was on the Hawks in their chase when, after losing two quick wickets, they fell to 6-102, still 57 runs from victory, but Zac East (28) and Matt Fitt (21 n.o.) steered the side out of danger with a defiant 54-run seventh-wicket partnership.
“It’s a bit cliche, but I had said to the boys all week that it’s all about the process, not the outcome. If you think about the outcome you don’t get the process right and that’s how we approached the whole weekend,” Jacobs said.
Hawks’ all-rounder Shane Murdoch won the Taylor-Walsh Medal for a fine bowling performance in which he took 4-50 off 17 overs on Saturday with his left-armers.
“Our bowling set the win up and for him to get four wickets was just fantastic. He has kept it tight all year, he’s a great competitor and it was great to see him get some reward,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs was also full of praise for Cam McGlashan, who grinded his way to 26 off 136 balls after coming in with the Hawks’ 2-26 and the Redbacks up and about early.
“I thought Cam was sensational. He has a great temperament and to have him batting with Matt Ford (22) during that third wicket partnership, they were probably the two best guys we could have out there at that time,” Jacobs said.
The win was Eaglehawk’s 21st first XI premiership, adding to its record of the most flags in the BDCA.
