Echuca has held off a valiant Moama rescue mission to win the McMahon Shield for the third year in a row.
The champions defeated Moama by 12 runs in a down-to-the-wire clash at Windridge Oval on Saturday and Sunday.
The Goulburn Murray Cricket clash swung in the favour of both sides throughout and continued to do so in the final few overs, with the complexion of the game seemingly changing every ball.
Day one featured a resilient batting display from Echuca, who managed to bat out its 80 overs and post a respectable total when it looked like doing neither halfway through the day’s play.
The two-time champion made a bright start, with openers Ewan Davidson and Curtis Townrow scoring quickly in a 24-run opening stand.
Townrow in particular showed attacking intent, smacking three boundaries on his way to 14 from seven balls, as Echuca looked to take the game to Moama in the early going.
Davidson (10) and Townrow both departed in the space of three balls and after team-leading run-scorer Kobyn James (3) and James Grixti (3) fell cheaply, Echuca was looking shaky at 4-44.
Matthew Hinks and Aidan Young steadied the ship, with both batsmen settling in for the long haul.
The pair’s 44-run stand spanned more than 22 overs before Moama’s strike bowler Michael Hill found his third wicket via the edge of Hinks, who departed for 29 from 102 balls.
Hill was involved again not long after, this time as a catcher, as Young (33) flashed at a ball outside off from the bowling of Billy Gallagher.
The loss of Brendan Moyle (4) left Echuca at 7-102, with just over half of the 80 overs expired, as captain Simon Maddox joined Charlie Hinks at the crease.
Moama, who would have been looking to close out the innings quickly, was instead frustrated by a disciplined partnership by the pair, who gradually ticked the scoreboard over as they batted together for 30 overs.
By the time Hinks (38) departed off the bowling of Jordan McGregor there were less than eight overs remaining in the day and the score had advanced to a much more respectable 8-167.
Over those final overs, Maddox (42) and Kale Edwards (13 not out) continued to add to the score before Maddox finally fell 116 balls into his innings.
Rylea Jones added three not out as Echuca concluded its 80 overs with 198 runs on the board.
It was a cautious start on day two for Moama as it set about hunting down the 199 required to secure the championship.
Openers Joel Murphy and Fraser Buchanan saw off 9.3 overs without greatly troubling the scorers before the loss of Murphy (4) trapped in front by Aidan Young saw Moama lose its first with the scoreboard showing just 12.
Michael Hill joined Buchanan and the pair added another 10 runs before Buchanan nicked one to first slip, with Young the bowler once again.
It seemed impossible to keep the all-rounder out of the game when, in the 15th over, he executed a brilliant run-out of Archie Teasdale, sprinting to his right from mid-on and throwing down the stumps as the left-hander attempted a quick single.
Just three overs later, Moama’s leading run-scorer Anthony McMahon was back in the sheds for a nine-ball duck, caught and bowled by Echuca captain Simon Maddox, who did well to gather the ball from down low during his follow-through.
It was déjà vu the following Maddox over when Michael Hill (20), who had been the best of Moama’s batsmen up to that point, also departed caught and bowled, leaving Moama in all sorts at 5-47.
Maddox then struck for the third consecutive over, removing new batsman Jack Russell when an attempted cut found its way into the slips cordon.
Moama headed into the sheds for tea at a dismal 6-65, with Echuca looking to seal things after the break.
Saunders and McGregor attempted to salvage the innings after the break and Saunders looked in good touch, getting bat on ball with regularity.
As the overs wore on, his efforts began to be rewarded as more shots found their way through the field, and sharp running between the wickets yielded a steady supply of singles.
McGregor went with him and the pair brought up the hundred for Moama in the 58th over as they tried to up the run rate and push towards the target in the final 22 overs.
Saunders brought up his half-century in the 67th over, but with time running out and still more than 60 runs required, the scoring rate would need to be maintained through the final stretch.
However, it wasn’t to be for Saunders (54), as he found himself trapped in front by Matthew Hinks just four balls after posting his 50.
That left McGregor, who remained at the crease on 36, with Moama’s hopes on his shoulders as he was joined by Kirk Teasdale with 58 runs still required and only 13 overs remaining in the innings.
With 30 required off the final five overs, Moama looked to be in trouble when over 76 started with the dismissal of Kirk Teasdale (17), but momentum swung again as new batsman Billy Gallagher smashed 11 runs, including a six, from the remaining five balls.
Echuca gained control again to start over 77 with Gallagher trapped in front to Rylea Jones, leaving Moama on the brink at nine down.
McGregor brought up his 50 in over 78 and would have been hopeful of leading his side to victory with 14 required off the final two overs.
However, the game turned for a final time when on the second ball of over 79, number 11 Rhys Drennan holed out, ending Moama’s innings at 186, 12 runs short of Echuca’s 198.
Earlier, Matt Saunders (54) and McGregor kept Moama in the clash with an 87-run stand for the seventh wicket and, with McGregor remaining at the crease for the final stretch, some hope still remained for it to overcome the two-time defending champion.
Echuca skipper Simon Maddox, who was named man-of-the-match for his efforts, claimed the win was the best of any he had been involved in at the club.
“It’s unbelievable, mate. After Christmas we lost three in a row, we hit a form slump, and sides probably thought ‘Echuca’s not the side they were’,” he said.
“We had a pretty deep, honest chat and just got back to working hard.
“You probably heard us throw the word ‘grind’ out there, and we’ve been grinding for six or eight weeks, extra training, blokes doing training and throwing balls to each other, so credit to the boys.
“They’ve been amazing, they’re an amazing group of fellas, so right now I’m over the moon. It’s honestly probably the sweetest one I’ve won at Echuca Cricket Club.”
