Tara Murray
Rivergum’s dreams of returning to the top in North Metro Cricket Association Jika Shield were shattered as Preston Baseballers secured back-to-back titles.
Playing off in an 11th straight grand final, the Kookas were hoping to reverse the result of last season’s grand final which the Baseballers dominated.
Many people predicted that the Kookas were primed to claim the title. Baseballers captain Michael Sortino admitted after the game that he thought his side had no chance.
Two wickets in the first over for the Kookas was the perfect start, but it wasn’t to be their day.
Jacob Walker and Sortino steadied the Baseballers to take them from 2-2 to 2-84.
The Kookas would hit back with four quick wickets, but some late order hitting pushed the Baseballers to 6-165.
Walker top scored with 51 at the top of the order, while John Boughton made a quick fire 35 off 25 balls at the end of the innings.
Corey Altis was the pick of the bowlers with 4-29.
The Kookas needed a good start with the bat and while they got to 0-22, it would start to go wrong from there.
They would crumble to 5-56, including a duck to captain-coach Matthew Perri.
The lower order tried to get them back into the game, but with the run rate rising the wickets continued to fall.
The Kookas were eventually bowled out for 106 with just over five overs remaining.
Jack Carlyon top scored with 20.
Walker continued his good game taking 4-27 and also had a run out. It was no surprise that he was named player of the match.
Perri said they weren’t good enough on the day.
“We sort of had them 2-4 in the first over and we let them get away,” he said. “We said that early wickets were the key and we got them, but credit to them they dug in.
“We pegged it back to 6-110 and they sort of got away from us again.
“It turned a lot during the game and we didn’t stay on top of things.”
Perri said the death bowling hurt them in the semi final between the two teams and it played out the same way in the grand final.
The batting which had worked so well throughout the season, just couldn’t fire when they needed them most.
“We couldn’t build any partnerships with the bat,” Perri said. “It was pretty costly, losing wickets at the wrong time, and we couldn’t get anything going.
“We lost three or four wickets in quick succession and in a grand final you’re under the pump if that happens.”
Perri said a neck injury to Jarrod Bannister which saw him drop down the order didn’t help either.
Perri said the side was still proud to have made it through to an 11th straight decider.
“We’ll come back next year,” he said.
“Hopefully it can continue next year. We have a few aging players, so we’ll see how they go.”
