LIAM DURKIN
CRICKET
LVDCL A GRADE
By LIAM DURKIN
ANDREW Philip can’t be far away from a knighthood.
The Moe superstar saw the Lions to the A Grade premiership with an incredible innings of 114
against Trafalgar.
After winning the toss and electing to bat on the Yinnar Turf, Moe made a slow but steady start as it looked to keep wickets in hand for the back-end.
Trafalgar’s bowlers maintained a disciplined length early in the piece, although they weren’t
really able to create any chances.
With wickets not coming from the hand of bowlers, it was left to the right hand of Aydan Connolly to get the first pole as he threw down the stumps with an insane bullet from deep mid-wicket.
Philip entered with the score 1/14, and combined with Noah Kane in a 128-run partnership.
Kane constructed a determined 66 from 109 balls, and looked a man on a mission, proudly beating the club logo on his shirt when he reached 50.
Philip continued on, and upped the scoring rate after the second drinks break.
As is often the case, Philip hardly gave a chance, with the only possibility coming when Connolly found an edge during the first session that fell inches short of Trafalgar captain Rhys Holdsworth at first slip.
From side on it looked to have carried, but to Holdsworth’s credit he did not claim the catch.
How fine the margins can be in cricket.
The Lions added 50 runs in the last five overs to take the total past 250, with Philip bringing up his third century of the season with a six and four over long off.
By that stage he was well and truly seeing them like watermelons, and was virtually putting every ball where he wanted.
With the Moe crowd rising in voice and momentum all with the Lions, there was no question Trafalgar was feeling the heat, as their fielding became totally error ridden.
If ever there was an example of how real pressure can affect a side it was on display in the last five overs for the Ships.
It just felt as if every ball Philip faced was going the distance.
Trafalgar got off the ground and needed 254 in order to win the premiership.
While it was an imposing total, it was virtually identical to the 253 the Ships chased when they last played Moe only five weeks ago.
Could history repeat itself?
Trafalgar had 50 overs to find out.
The Ships started promisingly in reply, with Aiden George and Liam White putting on 59 for
the first wicket.
The pair got to the first drinks break well ahead of where Moe was at the same stage, but then Sean Spiteri entered the arena and turned the game.
Spiteri nabbed George second ball after drinks for 40, and followed up by seeing Connolly snick off to Philip in the slips.
The leg-spinner found bounce was on offer, and ended with good figures of 2/41 off 10.
The Lions took the ascendency when Clinton Taylor took the key wicket of Holdsworth, with Riley Baldi holding his nerve under a high ball at mid-wicket.
With the score 3/86, the White brothers Liam and Riley set about getting things in order.
A 51-run partnership ensued, but when Liam was dismissed for 45, it set about a quick procession that took the Ships from 4/137 to 7/161.
Riley White played positively for a run-a-ball 40 before being run out. It was one of two run outs in the Trafalgar innings, with the second coming from a direct hit by Philip.
When you are hot you are hot.
From there the equation was well and truly in Moe’s favour, and by the 40 over mark the result was all but determined.
Fittingly, it was Moe captain Pat Spiteri who took the winning catch, as Trafalgar was bowled
out for 196.
Those who know Spiteri will know he has put his heart and soul into all things Moe Cricket Club in the last few seasons, going above and beyond what is usually expected of a captain/coach.
As with any grand final there was no shortage of feel-good and side-stories for Moe.
Lions’ cult hero Robert Blunt reached the premiership dais after a lengthy journey, and joined Kane, Baldi and Chris Robinson as Moe players who finally got to taste success after coming runner-up in the previous two seasons.
All-rounder Ash Savige finished the grand final with figures of 4/51.
A Melbourne Demons diehard, it has certainly been a memorable few months for Savige.
Opening bowler Clinton Taylor started the season with intentions of filling in for C Grade, and ended it with an A Grade flag.
When he isn’t playing cricket the man known as The Reverend is either selling houses or virtually running the Moe Football-Netball Club. You wonder where he finds the time to sleep.
Royce Colgrave would have surely felt internal satisfaction when a premiership medal was placed around his neck.
Colgrave joined Moe this season after being unable to really crack a regular A Grade game
at Latrobe.
Glen Sheekey, a legend at Yallourn North Cricket Club, may well have thought his opportunity
to be part of an A Grade premiership team had passed – not anymore.
Sean Spiteri added a third premiership medal to his collection, while Philip added a ninth, and first since the ‘eight in a row’ dynasty ended in 2012/13.
Philip was an obvious choice for man-of-the-match. He made 114 off 133 balls, took two catches and had a direct hit run out.
The man is a freak, there is simply no other word to describe it.
With a Moe cricket premiership now secured, many will be hoping it isn’t the only flag the Lions win this year.
A cricket and footy flag in the same year has a nice ring to it.
