Brilliance and controversy as Wonthaggi Club takes the cup

THERE was brilliance and controversy in equal measure on Sunday during the final day of the grand final in the premier grade in Leongatha and District Cricket.

Chasing 257 for victory, after the heroics of Wonthaggi Club’s Lochlan McLean on Saturday, contributing a backs-to-the-wall century on day one, OMK didn’t start well.

Succumbing to a combination of tight bowling, expert keeping behind the stumps by Jack Sheerin and the pressure of the occasion; OMK slumped to 5/68, with talented Diggers’ batsman Koby Brann desperately seeking someone to hold up the other end while he went about salvaging the situation.

And Tom Wyatt looked to be just the man for the job as he joined his captain out in the centre and the pair set about turning the game around.

Already on 33 runs when Wyatt came to the crease, Brann wasn’t wasting time, cracking 13 fours in complete control through to lunch, and reaching 80 off 133 balls shortly after the resumption.

But, seemingly in full control, he played a false shot to a straight delivery from his brother Joel, previously a teammate at Club, and was given out LBW in what was potentially a premiership defining moment.

It was also a highly controversial moment as well.

Some say they heard a woody nick before the ball cannoned into Brann’s pads, and therefore ‘not out’ but the finger went up and the decision went into the books. The rest is history.

Standing up to the stumps minutes later, Club keeper Jack Sheerin took one of those reflex catches that you don’t always see, let alone take, as the ball deviated sharply off Tom Wyatt’s bat and he was out off the bowling of Alex Geyer for a stoic innings of 25 off 53, the perfect foil to Koby Brann’s brilliance.

At 7/144, still needing more than 100 for victory, it was always going to be tough.

Ryan Williams took a brave shot at it however, and with some lusty hitting, including three crowd-pleasing sixes, he made 49 off 53 balls, to get the score up towards the 200 mark, often retaining the strike at the end of the over to protect the other tailenders.

But he ran out of partners and ultimately, he holed out to Jakeb Thomas coming in off the boundary at deep midwicket, from the bowling of Fraser West, as Wonthaggi Club sealed the win and a premiership that looked altogether unlikely at 6/88 the previous day.

There was no ill will from OMK’s captain at the presentations afterwards, as he graciously congratulated Wonthaggi Club on their win, urging them to enjoy the victory but not get too used to it with his team sure to be challenging again next year.

Predictably, Lochie McLean was named man of the match, winning the coveted ‘best player in the grand final’ shirt for his chanceless innings of 126 runs off 166 deliveries, coming to the crease at 4/53, batting through five partnerships and not bowing out until Club had reached a match-winning 256.