MALLEE pride rests with Rams for another year following their undefeated Red Cliffs Cricket Association season, culminating in back-to-back A Grade premierships on Saturday.
It’s also the second consecutive grand final they have won against old rivals Tempy Tigers and while the sequel wasn’t as close to the wire as the original, it was still an entertaining contest.
The Onion Patch at Red Cliffs’ Quandong Park turned out to be a bowlers’ paradise, as the minor premiers added a flag to the cabinet with a 14-run victory following their one-wicket victory 12 months prior.
The match drew a big crowd from Ouyen and surrounding townships to Red Cliffs, and it was Tempy who made the strong start to leave the Rams at 2/18.
The Tigers would have been over the moon with the early scalp of joint Les Thurlow Medal winner Conor Schultz, who won alongside Fire Brigade’s Jason Beard.
Zac Robertson claimed four of the final six wickets to finish with 4/18 as the Rams were all out for a very achievable 75 in the 30th over.
Nic Monaghan (3/8) and Tate Hulland (3/13) were also impressive.
The ball, however, continued to do the talking as the Rams shredded their opponents’ confidence early.
Alex Morrish claimed the first three wickets to have the Tigers at 3/1, and they never recovered. Skipper Brad Parsons also got in on the act to see Tempy struggling at 7/18.
Despite some late order resistance from Will Grigg and Joel Grace, their final-wicket partnership of 23 being the biggest for the game, when the latter was bowled by Sam Mead the Tigers were all out for 61, 15 runs shy of victory.
Morrish finished with 4/8 with four maidens to go with 10 runs earlier, while Parsons (3/10 and 14 not out) and Daniel Pryse (14 and 2/11) also impressed.
Meanwhile, next door at Red Cliffs Secondary College, Nursery Ridge claimed their second B Grade premiership in the last three seasons over Curlwaa, who were defeated in their second consecutive grand final.
Anthony Shaw, who won the B Grade Brendan Bell Medal for best and fairest earlier in the week, starred with an unbeaten 68 as Ridge went on to secure an 18-run victory.
