Tara Murray
Werribee is through to a fourth straight Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association grand final, after one of the ‘best games’ the club has been part of in recent seasons.
The east-west semi final between the Tigers and Mt Waverley went down to the wire, with the Tigers hitting the winning runs of the first ball of the final over.
Tigers skipper Tim O’Brien said it was an incredible game of cricket to be part of.
“The heart is still pumping,” he said. “Mt Waverley was fantastic and it’s one of the best games I’ve been a part of.
“The game ebbed and flowed. They would get on top and we would get a wicket and then we would get on top and they would get a wicket.
“We were lucky to get on the right end of it.”
Werribee won the toss and sent Mt Waverley in. Mt Waverley was bowled out for 207 with three overs remaining.
O’Brien said that total could have been less, but were confident of getting the runs.
“We bowled really well,” he said. “But we dropped a lot of catches which was disappointing not to back the bowlers up.
“Chasing 207 on a pretty good wicket at Chirnside we were confident that we could chase that down.”
The Tigers top order failed to fire early on day two, with the two Dean brothers and O’Brien back in the sheds when the score was 3-55.
Nathan Taylor soon joined them and the Tigers were soon in trouble at 6-152. When James Freeman and Matthew Harmer went out, they still needed 22 with two wickets in hand.
O’Brien said they had confidence in their batting line up to get it down.
“We were comfortably ahead of the run rate, but it came down to the last over.
“Jonathon [Burton] batted terrifically with Michael Kelly.
“Michael has batted at six or seven for us in the past and is now batting at 10. Our number 11 bats at five or six in the second XI.
“We’ve been in a lot of these situations, especially in finals, it was pretty nervy.”
A four of the first ball of the final over was enough for the Tigers to finish 8-208.
Ryan Alifraco top scored with 55, his second 50 at this level.
The Tigers now face Spotswood in the grand final, at Spotswood.
The Woodsmen beat Williamstown in the other semi final.
The Tigers will be going for a third straight premiership, having made the grand final the season before that, but it was called off due to COVID.
The Woodsmen are going for their first premiership in the VSDCA.
“We normally get a bus to the grand final, but we might not have to this time,” O’Brien said.
“They’ve had a terrific year, but we haven’t played them this year. We were meant to be in round one, but it was washed out.
“It should be a pretty close grand final.”
