Echuca captain Jaye Caldwell at the crease in the Gus Underwood Shield C-grade grand final. Photos: Jordan Townrow.
Echuca was unable to complete a lower grades premiership double, as its C-grade outfit lost to Girgarre by eight wickets in the Gus Underwood Shield decider.
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The Kangaroos elected to bowl first, and it proved a wise decision, with Echuca’s innings getting off to a very slow and shaky start, making just 10 runs across its first 10 overs and losing a wicket in the eighth when Timothy Moodie fell.
A second wicket came in the 13th over and by the end of the 15th, Echuca was 3-17.
The next four dismissals almost came at one per over as Girgarre continued its siege on the middle order.
At 7-39 midway through the 22nd over, it became a case of how quickly the innings would end. Echuca at least stuck out a further 13 overs to double its total.
Echuca’s Darryl McLean looks to pull a shot onto the leg side.
But it ended up making its lowest score of the season when batting first, all bowled out for 78.
Girgarre’s excellent bowling display had multiple meaningful contributors, with Jake Tooley (3-12) and John Melhuish (3-20) leading the way, supported by Oscar McKeown (2-10).
Melhuish added to his bowling performance by taking two catches in the field, with this being the method of dismissal for eight of the wickets.
The only score of note for Echuca came from Niroshana Premachandra, who made 25 off 35 balls to lead the order and be one of only two batters to reach double digits.
Dimuthu Lakmal Kariyawasan Jalath Thanthrige blocks the delivery.
In reply, Girgarre made relative ease of the run chase, only dropping the wickets of captain Bille Gahan (19) and Lachlan Werner (22).
Simon Tomasini and vice-captain Rhys Febey saw out the innings, with Febey securing the C-grade title with a four in the 18th over.
The win capped an unlikely premiership tilt for Girgarre, who not only went into the finals as the lowest ranked team but won the title after missing the post-season in each of the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, although Echuca fell short at the final hurdle, making the decider this season was an improvement on consecutive semi-final defeats, while the club found success elsewhere on the day by taking out the Peter Raglus Shield in D-grade.
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