Phillip Island steamrolls OMK

• A Grade, Division 1

By Peter Cleeland

AFTER limping into this year’s LDCA finals series with two embarrassing losses in the home and away rounds, reigning premier Phillip Island booked a birth in the 2022/23 LDCA A1 Cricket Grand Final.

Winning the toss and batting on a good pitch at Scorpion Park, the OMK lads were soon in trouble with Island opening bowlers Tom Keily and Simon Kirton picking up two early wickets. 

With the introduction of Island spinner Charith Keerthisinghe, OMK lost opener Cuman to a stumping from Black and Outtrim plummeted to 3/12. 

Noel Creed and Tommy Wyatt patiently set about rebuilding the innings and put on 19 before, Creed (14) fell to an outstanding catch from Rathnayake.

Simon Kirton returned to the bowling creased to pick up the valuable wicket of Wyatt (28) and Lachie Cleeland caught Lamers giving Keerthisinghe his second wicket. 

Rose (44) and Williams (37) took the score to 125 before the latter was bowled by the Island spinner. 7/125 became all out 155 as Charith Keerthisinghe claimed the outstanding figures of 26.1/10/7/48 in a match winning display.

With 15 overs to bat and having made 80 odd in their last two hits, the Island batsmen were very nervous. 

Eli Richards (8) moved up to open began well with Cleeland but was adjudged LBW with the score on 16. Daniel Mock and Lachie Cleeland saw the team through to stumps well positioned on 1/47 overnight. 

The first hour of play on Sunday told the story as OMK needed early breakthroughs, but the two Island batsmen survived a searching spell of bowling from OMK veteran Peter Dell. Cleeland (25) ran out of patience and departed to Dell with the score on 84. 

But Island Captain Daniel Mock was well into gear crunching a number of cover drives to the fence. 

With 3 runs required to win Mock (86) “chopped on” to leave Shiran Rathnayake (23 not out) to score the winning runs. 

The Islanders were jubilant in victory and for OMK there was no consolation despite being runaway end of season ladder leaders.

 In a replay of last season’s grand final, Phillip Island will play Leongatha Town for the heavyweight title.