By Russell Bennett
WGCA PREMIER DIVISION
REVIEW – SEMI-FINALS
The WGCA’s two biggest powerhouses had their work well and truly cut out for them at stages over the weekend, but it would have surprised no one to see both Kooweerup and Pakenham ultimately emerge triumphant by late Sunday afternoon.
Both the Lions’ and Demons’ resolve was sorely tested, but their ability to pull through right when it matters most saw them through to yet another grand final showdown.
At Tooradin on Saturday, the hometown Gulls – batting first – produced a series of double-digit contributions with the willow, eight all told, but none were converted into what would have been a telling, big score.
In fact, from the eight double-digit scores, only one was in excess of 30 – Neil Peake’s 32.
It’s no secret that the Lions’ bowling stocks in season 2019/20 haven’t been what they once were – almost entirely through a series of telling injuries to the likes of Zac Chaplin, Dom Paynter, and Jack Ryan.
But the Lions have only ever been as good as the sum of their parts. While they undoubtedly have plenty of star talent in their ranks, it’s the evenness of their contributions across the board that make them such a powerful collective.
Clearly, the likes of Dale Tormey and Chris Smith have been competition standouts – particularly with the willow – but with the ball the Lions have relied on a truly combined effort.
And Saturday was no different.
The visiting Lions made the call to open the bowling with Smith and the spin of Jason Williams, and the decision reaped telling rewards.
Bowling incredibly disciplined lines and lengths, Smith finished with 2/39 from nearly 18 overs, while Williams was another genuine standout – claiming 3/48 from his 28 overs.
Their discipline allowed the likes of Troy McDermott to also capitalise, as the strongly-built all-rounder turned to medium pace to finish with 4/35 from his nine overs and play a vital role in restricting the Gulls to a sub-200 total (187).
But the hard work was still to come for the Lions.
At one stage in the early going of day two, they found themselves 3/31 with star all-rounder and reigning league medallist Tormey back in the sheds for just six.
While some outfits might’ve panicked at that stage, the Lions relied on the experience of Smith and stalwart Ben Maroney to affectively see them home.
They’ve both been there and done that countless times before with the willow, and are proven performers on the biggest stage.
Their 129-run fourth wicket stand on Sunday was symbolic of that, as they took their side to within sight of victory before Brad Senior – with an unbeaten 20 – combined with Smith (67 not out) to see the Lions home by an impressive six wickets (4/191).
Unfortunately for the Gulls, they’ve now lost every Premier semi-final they’ve played since the 2013/14 season – six all told over that space of time.
Speaking in the wake of the weekend’s clash, Lions skipper Rob Elston praised the resilience of his side.
“I always felt fairly comfortable with the target – 188 – but when you’re 3/30 chasing 188, it was looking pretty ominous,” he said.
“You know Russ (former Pakenham star Russell Lehman) is a quality bowler, and they’ve got some great role players with the ball, but losing your best player at 3/30, there were definitely a few nerves at that stage.”
And what the scoreboard doesn’t show is that Smith and Maroney’s telling partnership could have easily been over as soon as it began with Smith surviving two run-out chances in as many balls.
But it wasn’t long before the pair steadied the Pakenham ship, corrected its course, and navigated it to victory.
“I’ve said this numerous times about Smitty, but there are just not enough superlatives to describe him,” Elston said.
“Potentially his late state to the season (missing the first five rounds), and a couple of washouts along the way have kept him nice and fresh, but every time he’s batted he’s just looked so silky, and with that defense of his he can make his bat seem six-feet wide.”
And Elston, unsurprisingly, was also quick to praise Maroney’s impact once again on the big stage.
“He certainly has that inner fire,” Elston said.
“The way he prepared on Sunday, he was always looking to put his best foot forward. Class is permanent. You don’t make as many runs as he has over the time, if you can’t bat.
“He’s someone who’s hugely valued in the group, and his leadership is fantastic too.
“We’re blessed to know that even in that situation we found ourselves in, we could cope with the pressure (through Smith and Maroney). They’ve performed in big games before, risen above, and excelled.”
Kooweerup, too, was staring right down the barrel on the weekend – in their case on the opening day’s play at the Denhams Road fortress against Clyde.
Batting first, the Demons made a solid start despite losing captain-coach Mark Cooper (6) early, but from 1/68 – before in-form keeper-bat Chris Bright succumbed for 42 – the home side slid all the way to 9/123.
But the Demons are known for taking pride in their performances, and stepping up to the plate right when their team needs them most.
And that’s exactly what Nathan Voss (31 not out) and Matt Bright (15) did in their vital 40-run last wicket stand – dragging their side’s total to 163 from 62 overs.
Pat Lawson was nothing short of stellar with the ball for Clyde – making the Kooweerup batsmen play at every opportunity on the way to claiming 5/40.
He clearly caused a number of significant headaches for some of the Demons’ most talented batsmen – a true testament to the talent level he possesses.
The Cougars were then forced to face a particularly tricky period late on day one, before getting on with the chase on day two
They couldn’t make it through the end of day one unscathed, either – losing Kane Avard early.
Another four quick wickets on day two had the Cougars struggling for air at 5/36, but a vital 42-run stand between John Simpson (23) and Daniel Lever (26) – who clearly valued their scalps at all costs – made the Demons put their heads down and grind away for their victory.
But Simpson’s dismissal at 6/78 seemed to break the dam wall, with the Demon attack proving irresistible from that point forward – ultimately rolling the Cougars for just 88.
The Demons are known for their ability to put the clamps on with the ball in big games, and their weekend performance was another example of that.
Jess Mathers only enhanced his reputation as a proven big game player, snaring 6/33 from his 24 overs, while Luke McMaster was also outstanding with his 3/23.
While Pakenham won through to its fifth grand final in a row with its victory over Tooradin, and Kooweerup its seventh with its triumph over Clyde, at the time of going to print there was genuine uncertainty about whether or not this weekend’s blockbuster game would go ahead. Cricket Australia strongly recommended the cancellation of all Premier and community cricket, but the WGCA was yet to make an official announcement on its position. Over the past four seasons, the grand final ledger between the Demons and Pakenham is squared at two apiece.
