The Rams sensationally won the game on the final ball of the match when professional golfer Lucas Herbert hit a four through midwicket.

However, the EVCA informed Sedgwick on Wednesday that Herbert was ineligible to play because he had not played a game with the club this season.

The EVCA deemed Herbert to be a marquee player and each club is permitted to play one marquee player. The Rams had their regular marquee player - opening batter Ryan Grundy - also play in the match.

Herbert played two division one games for the Rams in November, 2019.

After a successful golfing year on the European Tour and PGA Tour, he's back in Bendigo to spend Christmas with his family and friends and jumped at the opportunity to play a Twenty20 game with Sedgwick.

He made 39 not out off 25 balls in the nail-biting victory.

The Rams were under the impression that Herbert, who has never played a higher grade of cricket than the EVCA, would be eligible to play because he hadn't played anywhere else since his two-game stint two years ago and he's a paid up member of the club.

"We asked the umpires on Saturday and the umpires thought there was no issue with him playing,'' Sedgwick president Neil Bowe said.

"By the letter of the law, we have played an ineligible player because he hasn't played this year, but this is an unsual case.

"Lucas has played with us before, he plays with us when he can get to the club and it's not as if he's a professional cricketer, he's a professional golfer.

"He's not here for long and he was going to play with us this weekend, but he now has golf commitments.

"He was just having some fun with mates last night. We love having Lucas around the club and he enjoys the little time he gets with the club. It's great for the club and the league to have Lucas involved.

"The most frustrating thing is the league didn"t contact us before putting the decision out there."

EVCA president Ron Gray stood by the decision to penalise the Rams.

"We have the rules in place for a reason,'' Gray said.

"Otherwise we could have anyone turn up on any given night and play. Whether it's Emu Valley or Bendigo, everyone has rules for their Twenty20 cricket.

"It's disappointing, but what do we do? We can't turn a blind eye to everything. You write rules for a reason.

"It's not as if this rule was only brought in this season. It's on page one of the rules.

"I can see both sides of this, but everybody has known the rules. It's disappointing that this had to occur."

Gray confirmed that Marong had not protested the result and that it was EVCA secretary Wayne Combridge who made the finding.

"Wayne was doing his job to go through each game and check the eligibility of players,'' Gray said.

The decision means Marong will earn the points for the match.

The Sedgwick decision is the second controversy involving the EVCA board in less than a month.

The EVCA board and Emu Valley Cricket Umpires Association were at loggerheads over a $100 fine issued to the umpiring body which led to one round of matches going ahead without accredited officials.

Sedgwick president Neil Bowe has been contacted for comment.

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An EVCA Twenty20 game is certainly not the 18th green of the Irish Open or the Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour, but Lucas Herbert showed the same calmness under pressure with a cricket bat on Tuesday night as he did with the putter in his two tournament wins earlier this year.

Making a cameo appearance with Sedgwick in the Emu Valley Cricket Association Twenty20 competition, the 41st ranked golfer in the world showed his sporting skills don't just rest with a driver or pitching wedge.

The Rams needed four runs off the final ball to win the game against Marong and Herbert produced a Steve Waugh-style slog sweep to find the fence and clinch victory.

Ironically, the final over was bowled by Alex Gorrie - Course superintendentat Herbert's home golf club, Neangar Park.

Herbert top-scored for the Rams, with 39 not out off 25 balls.

Herbert didn't look out of place against a Marong attack that included marquee player Brent Hamblin - one of the premier pacemen in the Bendigo District Cricket Association.

He made a cautious start, and was seven runs off his first 10 balls, before launching late in the innings to guide the Rams home by three wickets.

While he looked most comfortable hitting the ball straight, Herbert hit five boundaries in total, including a cut shot backward of point and a pull shot over square leg.

Chasing Marong's total of 8-146, skipper Jordan Ilsley (38) and opener Ryan Grundy (31) had put the Rams in control before a middle-order collapse swung the match the Panthers' way.

Sedgwick needed 26 runs off the final three overs when Herbert went up a gear.

16 runs were taken off the 18th over which forced Marong to throw the ball to Hamblin for the penultimate over.

Hamblin only conceded two runs and took a wicket, leaving the Rams requiring eight runs off the final six balls with three wickets in hand.

Herbert and tailender Lucas Baldwin could only manage singles off four of the first five balls of the over, leaving Herbert on strike requiring a four to win the game.

Gorrie's off-spinner was full on middle and leg stump, Herbert whacked it through midwicket and split two of the boundary riders on the leg-side.

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