For most of the year Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows and Plenty Valley have been the top two teams in the Victorian Sub-district Cricket Association’s north-west competition.
In what has been the closest competition in years, the Falcons and Bats have constantly showed that they have been a class above the rest of the teams with big wins at the right times.
The experienced Bats unit is trying to make up for some of the disappointment from the last two seasons.
Last year they were red-hot favourites to take out the north-south premiership but were knocked out in the semi-finals.
The season before the Bats finished runners-up in the north-east group.
It couldn’t be more contrasting in fortunes for the Falcons in the last two seasons.
Two seasons ago they finished second-bottom in the south-west group with only three wins for the season.
Last year they finished seventh in the east-west group, missing finals by a game.
Unlike the Bats which is full of experienced players, the Falcons have little finals experience at this level. The club’s most recent grand final was the 1998-99 season and only the second grand final in 43 years.
How the two teams fared:
Round 5
The one matchup between the two sides got off to the worst start with vandals damaging the wicket and part of the outfield at A.K. Lines.
With the ground unplayable, the match became a one-day clash instead of a two-day match.
The match went down to the wire, with the Falcons getting across the line with two balls to spare.
The Bats were sent in first and were restricted to 188 with captain Michael Sheedy top-scoring with 90 not out and Mitchell Streiff taking four wickets for the Falcons.
The Falcons made the runs with three wickets in hand. Skipper Mitch Johnstone top-scored with 50.
The season so far:
Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows
For many a surprise packet this season, to firstly make the finals, let alone the grand final.
The Falcons started the season well as one of two teams to win their opening two matches, before suffering a loss to Melton.
It was only a minor blimp on the radar as their remaining four matches went into the Christmas break to sit atop of the table.
The batting collapses of recent years were still there, but they were few and far between.
When they did occur, the bowling attack led by Johnstone ensured that they still won the majority of games.
After the Christmas break, the Falcons lost a couple of games they should have won but each time bounced back with victory the next week.
In the two finals wins, different players have stood up in each win.
Simpson Obed top scored with 62 in the Falcons’ qualifying final win against Ivanhoe, before competition leading wicket taker Johnstone took 5-65 as Ivanhoe was bowled out for 162.
In the semi-final, a devastating bowling spell from Patrick Matautaava skittled Altona for 99. Matautaava took 7-22.
After a short batting collapse the Falcons passed the total six wickets down.
Plenty Valley
While not having an unbeaten regular season like last season, Plenty Valley has been in the top two-three teams all year.
They started the season like they did last year with three straight wins before something unfamiliar happened. The team lost its first home and away match in 18 months.
The next week they dropped the game to the Falcons and it looked like one of the best teams in the last two seasons was on the decline.
But like all good teams, they bounced back with only one loss for the rest of the season.
The Bats batsmen really stood up, with Brad Mitchell, Sean Ayres and Michael Sheedy making centuries and each entered the grand final with season average of 54 or better.
Lorenzo Ingram averages 46.
In the qualifying final against Yarraville it was the bowlers who did the damage.
After making 206 batting first, the Eagles were given no chance as they were skittled for 45.
Ingram took 4-6 off his 5.5 overs while Benjamin Dennett took 3-12.
In the semi-final against Melton, veteran Ayres was the standout with both bat and ball.
Ayres and Kamalesh Murugsan put on a partnership of 148 to set up the innings, with the Bats going on to make 7-324.
Ayres top-scored with 149.
Two early Melton wickets set the Bats on their way and then Ayres stepped in to finish the job.
He took 6-67 as Melton was bowled out for 210.
Key players:
Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows
In a side with little grand final experience middle order batsman Adam Yates is vital to the Falcons chances. Yates, the former Yarraville coach who came to the club in the offseason, has played in five previous grand finals. In a batting order which is prone to collapse at times, Yates needs to ensure that once he gets to the wicket he provides the key plank to any score. He does enter the game under an injury cloud after hurting his calf in his side’s semi-final win.
Plenty Valley
You can’t go past the veteran in Sean Ayres. Despite being 42, Ayres is still one of the best players in the competition which he showed in the Bats’ semi-fina win over Melton. Ayres made 149 in the Bats’ total of 7-324, before taking 6-67 to restrict the Lions to 210. For the season, Ayres has scored 656 at an average of 59.64 and taken 36 wickets at an average of 10.92.
What they say:
Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows captain-coach Mitch Johnstone
“We will be the underdog and that suits us fine. Plenty Valley’s strength is their batting and ours is our bowling, so they will cancel each other out.
“It will be whoever does the other discipline better that will likely get the win.
“Aside from Adam Yates who has played in five grand finals, we don’t have much finals experience.
“We don’t have hang-ups from losing past grand finals. We are quite a youthful group and we have nothing to lose.”
Plenty Valley captain-coach Michael Sheedy
“Last year going through the season undefeated and being knocked out in the semi-finals was a kick in the guts. This time I think we are peeking at the right time of the season.
“Our bowling has been our strength the last three years and we will back ourselves in with the bat and ball.
“We are pretty confident the experience we have, including five players who have played grade cricket over a long period of time will get the job done.
“We’re confident the 11 that played this week and got us to the grand final will do the job.”
Prediction:
It’s a case of the experienced team against a young and upcoming side. While both teams have their strengths, the Bats with the bat and the Falcons with the ball, it’s the Bats who seem to have the advantage with the other as shown against Yarraville.
For the Falcons making the grand final is a big step and something they are likely to build on in the future, but this year seems like it is time for the Bats to redeem themselves from the last two years.
