Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
READ MORE - EVCA grand finals this weekend now cancelled
THE jubilation that comes with a Bendigo District Cricket Association premiership either by hitting the winning runs or taking the final wicket was instead replaced with the arrival of an email for Strathdale-Maristians on Thursday night.
With the BDCA board to deliberate on its premiership decision on Thursday night, Suns players got together at Bell Oval awaiting the flag verdict.
They would have been at Bell Oval anyway given under normal circumstances the Suns would have been having their final training session before this weekend's grand final against Huntly-North Epsom.
But there is no grand final after the BDCA on Tuesday adhered to the recommendations from Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria to cancel all cricket in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The BDCA board made that decision on Tuesday, before meeting on Thursday night where it was determined the higher-ranked grand final side was to be awarded premierships.
That decision meant that rather than this season's grand final being decided by a margin of runs or wickets, Strathdale-Maristians have won the 2019-20 premiership by one point from Huntly-North Epsom.
The Suns finished on top of the ladder with 70 points; the Power were second on 69.
"We got together at the rooms last night knowing that the association was meeting to make a decision. We sat around and waited for the email to hit the club inbox and when it arrived we had a moment of celebration, but it's certainly not the way we wanted to win the premiership," Suns' captain Ben DeAraugo said on Friday.
"We do believe we deserve it and we're obviously really happy with the season."
The result that has ultimately delivered the Suns the premiership is their outright win over Bendigo at Bell Oval in round 12.
Without the maximum points from that game the Suns would have finished second on the ladder and instead the Power would be back-to-back premiers.
"We certainly didn't set out looking for an outright win in that match, but when those opportunities present they are too good to pass up," DeAraugo said.
"I look back at that match now and reflecting on it, I'm really proud of the way we went about it in that players sacrificed individual goals to try to get that outright result to get us back up the ladder.
"I look at Cameron Taylor, who was a chance this year to break the league runs record, but all he wanted to do was score quickly so we could send them back in for their second innings on that first night.
"We've had batsmen and bowlers sacrificing for the betterment of the team all season and that game was just another example of us playing unselfish team cricket that we pride ourselves on."
While there will be no grand final played this weekend for the first time since 1923-24, DeAraugo paid tribute to Huntly-North Epsom, with the two sides being the clear standouts, losing just two games between them in the season-proper.
"Huntly-North Epsom has put together a really good team over the past two seasons and I'm sure it would have been a really tough grand final," DeAraugo said.
"We took the chocolates both times we played them (round four and one-day final), but I'm sure it would have been a great battle on the big stage at the QEO.
"We're really disappointed we don't get the chance to test ourselves against them."
DeAraugo said there wouldn't have been any changes made to last week's winning semi-final team over White Hills, meaning the Suns' 2019-20 premiership side is: Ben DeAraugo (c), James Vlaeminck, Cameron Taylor, Grant Waldron, Jack Neylon, Daniel Clohesy, Linton Jacobs, Sam Johnston, Jacob DeAraugo, Chris Sole, Ryan Haythorpe.
The flag is the Suns' sixth in the past 10 years, with Ben DeAraugo, Jacobs and Ryan Haythorpe having been part of all six - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
