MORE NUCA - Grand final action and celebration photos
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THE experience of Dingee rose to the fore in Saturday's Northern United Cricket Association grand final as the Blowflies upstaged red-hot favourites Elmore.
The Blowflies, who had an average age of 35 in their grand final side, captured their third flag in the past four seasons with a 98-run victory over Elmore at Colbinabbin in what was a massive turnaround from their two home and away meetings.
Elmore had scored a combined 5-510 in 213 and 93-run home and away victories over the Blowflies, but the Redbacks' much vaunted batting line-up was only a shadow of itself when it mattered most.
Chasing Dingee's 8-152 from its 40 overs, the Redbacks capitulated in sensational style - all out for just 54.
The Redbacks' three leading run-scorers for the season in Chris Smith (9), Jake Wright (4) and captain Matt Gilmour (2) were all back in the pavilion before the score had reached 20.
Dingee's Sam Barnes set the stage for what was to follow for the Blowflies when he ran out Gilmour with a direct hit for the first wicket of the Redbacks' innings.
Only James Harney (10) scored in double figures for the Redbacks against a Dingee bowling line-up that was spearheaded by Daniel Whitfield.
Whitfield claimed a grand final five-for with his figures of 5-14 off 5.3 overs in a performance where he was just shaded by team-mate Scott Lawry for man of the match honours.
Opening the batting after Dingee won the toss, Lawry scored 43 and later produced a tidy 0-12 off five overs with the ball.
Lawry's grand final man of the match completes another stellar season for the veteran all-rounder, who also won the NUCA champion player award.
The Blowflies also had co-captain Kyle Patten make 43, while Travis Baird chipped in with 20.
The Blowflies lost a flurry of wickets late in their innings when the Redbacks took 5-6.
Jake Wright (2-34) was the only multiple wicket-taker for the Redbacks, who over the past two years have produced the statistically two most dominant NUCA seasons since 2009-10, but have no silverware to show for it and remain without a flag since 1998.
"We didn't drop anything out in the field and got a direct hit from Barnsey early and it all just snowballed from there and things went our way," Dingee co-captain Darran Lawry said.
"Elmore deserved to be the red-hot favourites, but we had one of those days where we were able to win the toss, get the runs on the board and then the boys were fantastic with the way they backed it up with the ball and in the field. It was a great all-round effort."
• Dingee premiership team - Darran Lawry (C), Kyle Patten (C), Dale Anderson, Adam Baird, Travis Baird, Sam Barnes, Rod Ellis, Matt Hind, Anthony Lawry, Scott Lawry, Brendan Westley, Daniel Whitfield, Nick Whitfield.
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