By Mitch Rodd
GAMESTA Panthers have reversed last year’s Willowfest Australian Cricket Club Championships Cup Grade final result, exacting revenge on Melrymple.
The Panthers set a total of 5/294 at Mildura Senior College, before dismissing their grand final rivals for 219 to claim the 2013 Willowfest Urn.
Tallan Wright top scored with 87 while skipper Tarek Moughanie made his third half century of the competition
before taking 5/32, including three wickets in four balls, to wrap up the match.
Jarrod Armsden made 76 from 77 balls in Melrymple’s run chase, but the total was too great to chase down.
Moughanie said after the match that it was much nicer being on the winning side of the final.
“We were confident our momentum had been building throughout the tournament,” he said.
“We had a few ring ins
for the first game but we managed a full team afterwards.
“Tallan managed back-to-back 80’s in the last couple of games, he’s been batting really well.
“I was just hoping to contribute so to make 50 and take five wickets was nice.”
Moughanie (56) and Jon Kent (61) set the tone with a 125 run opening stand before Wright and Jeremy Brown (53) made big contributions to the total.
Anthony Gale led the Melrymple bowlers with 3/54, before capping his all-round performance with 46 as opener.
After Brendan Payne was dismissed with the score at 5, Gale and Armsden shared an 82 run second wicket stand, while David Kirk (30) and a hard hitting Ryan Dowdy (26 from 11 deliveries) tried to resurrect the run chase.
The result however went beyond doubt when Moughanie claimed Dowdy, Rhys Webb (10) and Lucas Alaimo (4) in the one over.
Shane Trinick took 2/30, including the final scalp of Jeremy Newman.
In the other Cup Grade play off, Mallee Murray Bulls finished on a high with a 31 run win over Flip Sports.
In A Grade, Crazy Mexican Yabbies won back-to-back premiership after again getting the better of Kangarilla, winning by seven wickets.
Kangarilla were rolled for 116, Tom Johnson scoring 33, as Damon Healy (2/12), Dylan Murphy (2/17) and Andrew Ross (2/25) went to work with the ball.
After losing two early wickets, Yabbies’ batsmen Luke Stanbrook (45 not out) and Andrew Petrie (35) led their side to a second straight title.
In the Ladies’ division Coburg continued their hot form taking out their final against Brighton Beasts by 34 runs.
Renee Melton’s 76 not out, and 56 from Rebecca Allen, following her impressive unbeaten century against the Sunraysia Heat on Sunday, led the Burgers to 3/177.
Brighton’s Lucy Uncles took 2/22, taking her overall tally to eight wickets for the tournament.
In reply, the Beasts fell 34 runs short of the target in their 40 overs, making 7/143 despite Alison Baker making her third half century in four innings.
Baker (55) made a total of 166 runs across the competition.
Catherine Morrow, who made the highest score of the tournament of 136 not out against Sunraysia Heat, turned her attention to the ball, taking 2/25.
It was the second time Coburg took the honours against Brighton during Willowfest after a seven wicket win in their Twenty20 match under light at Red Cliffs on Saturday.
In the play off for third and fourth, Sunraysia Heat finished their tournament on a high, defeating fellow local side Crazy Mexicans by 93 runs.
Annabel Martin’s 44 not out lead the Heat to victory, as well as outstanding bowling figures from Rhiann O’Donnell (2/0), Kimi Rangiuira (2/3), Teoi Kirirua-Gill (2/4) and N. Kirirua-Gill (2/6).
