WERRIBEE Centrals have survived the gruelling Victorian Turf Cricket Association west B1 season without a blemish.
The Centurions enter the finals as unbackable favourites after accumulating 11 wins from 11 starts this summer.
The minor premiers finished with 124.37 points, a massive 27 better than the second-placed team.
“We set the goal at the start of the year to be undefeated,” Centurions opening batsman Chris Duffin told the Weekly.
“Obviously it’s a long season and anything can happen, so it’s a phenomenal achievement.”
To really appreciate the feat, you have to see where the Centurions have come from in recent seasons.
In 2010-11, the club had reached the lofty heights of the north division, but was winless in a promotion year.
Relegated to the north A1 in ’11-12, the Centurions fared only slightly better, picking up a single victory en route to another relegation.
Change was desperately required, more so in attitude.
Playing coach Phil Crea and his assistant Dean Giarusso instigated that.
“We’ve gone from being a side that in tight situations would choke to getting that belief back that no matter what the situation is, we can win,” Duffin said.
“When things aren’t going your way, we’re still trying to be positive in our cricket and that’s the most important thing.”
The last home-and-away game was a case in point.
The Centurions did not have it all their own way against second-placed Point Cook, but found a way to win.
“It was a complete turnaround from the first day,” Duffin said.
“We played some of our worst cricket last week. To come out and really send a statement to the competition before the finals was really pleasing for us as a side.”
Unheralded batsman Sam Crea was the star for Centurions on the second day. Chasing 184 for victory, the Centurions looked shaky at 4-67, before the middle order picked up the slack. With 17 fours and three sixes, Crea (126) scored his first top-flight ton with the assistance of Jared Lions (40) and Phil Crea (29).
“He had a real tough job coming out to face the last ball last week,” Duffin said.
“He got through that and came out this week, and from ball one, he really looked like he was in for a big one.
“He was playing really good cricket shots and he might have given once chance at 80, but, besides that, it was a faultless innings.”
The Centurions have the luxury of a home semi-final at Galvin Park where they will entertain Sunshine YCW for the right to move into the grand final.
The other semi-final will see Point Cook meet St Andrews at Pennell Reserve.
