Rivergum didn’t have long to revel in its latest Northern Region T20 title, with the side brought back down to earth on Saturday.
The Kookas won their third T20 title in seven years on Tuesday night, with a stunning bowling performance skittling high-profile Riverside.
With their batsmen, led by veteran Alex Jesensek, doing the job, the Kookas happily added more silverware to the cabinet.
The Kookas were still celebrating when they fronted up to Lalor Warriors in the North Metro Cricket Association’s Jika Shield on Saturday.
After sealing a top two spot and with one hand on another minor premiership, the three-time reigning premiers were nowhere near their best.
And the Warriors were not going to make it easy for them. They need to win to have any chance of playing finals.
Kookas’ captain-coach Gary Bell labelled his side’s 104 with the bat as “pretty ordinary”.
“We started OK with Matt Kiely and Alex [Jesensek] before we were 3-30,” he said.
“Matt Perri and Jarrod Bannister looked like they were getting going and then there was a caught behind down the leg side. It was a great catch. We then had a couple of bad run-outs and it cost us dearly … 104 was not good enough.”
The Kookas redeemed themselves with the ball, with the Warriors to resume on 3-40.
Bell said if they bowled well on day two, they were in with a chance.
“We’re still a big show and we’ve got the wickets of three of their best batsmen,” he said.
“We don’t like to lose and aren’t going to hand them victory. If they beat us, they were too good.”
Bell said the win in the Northern Region T20 competition was a bonus, as they were pushing to win another Jika Shield.
The Kookas bowled Riverside out for 88 in the final last Tuesday.
“It’s better than training,” Bell said.
“Riverside is a quality side and it’s a great experience for our players to play against them.
“The bowlers were pretty smart, bowling full and straight. We attacked the stumps and most of the wickets were bowled.”
Daniel Bramich took 3-11, while Scott Morely took 2-17.
Jesensek top-scored with 43 not out as the Kookas made 4-89
The T20 competition is contested by teams in the NMCA and Diamond Valley Cricket Association.
