NYAH District claimed this year’s Kookaburra Cup in a thrilling five-wicket victory against Woorinen in a great spectacle under Friday night lights at Swan Hill Showgrounds.
A man-of-the-match five-wicket haul performance from Demons paceman Ben Sheridan proved to be the decisive factor.
Woorinen batted first and were cruising at 2-113 late in the 30th over with Gurmander Singh and Daniel Mangiameli well in control with a 50-run partnership.
But Sherdian struck with his final ball of the over, sending Singh (23) back to the pavilion and starting a collapse as the Tigers planned to accelerate the run-rate.
Young paceman Charlie Boulton found the edge of Daniel’s bat three balls later, falling one run shy of his half century, to leave Woorinen with no established batsmen at the crease.
Tigers’ Stefan Mangiameli (9 off 21) and Glenn Violi (14 off 13) were left to hit the ground running, but struggled to find the big shots in their 20-run stand.
Sheridan’s last two overs shattered any chance of Woorinen finding some runs late with two hat-trick balls (four wickets), including the scalps of both experienced batsmen.
His figures of 5-34 off eight overs aided Nyah District, tearing through the tail to bowl the Tigers out for 146 with one over remaining.
Woorinen captain and opener Jason Mangiameli (29 off 59) was vital to giving his side their strong early platform, with a 54-run second-wicket stand alongside Daniel.
In reply, each Demons batsman seemed to gain comfort at the crease, but the Tigers secured crucial wickets at regular intervals through tight all-round bowling and brilliant fielding.
Out of the top five batting order, only Nyah District skipper Joel Walsh (37 off 29) managed to exceed more than 16 runs.
But once Glenn Violi found his second scalp of the day in the dangerous Walsh, who edged a ball to the keeper, the quick runs dried up at 3-83 after 22 overs.
Needing less than a boundary an over for victory, the Demons remained calm at the crease as they slowly ticked the runs over.
But wickets continued to tumble and Nyah District were suddenly left to their two last recognised batsmen in the line-up — Shane Fleming (27 off 41 not out) and Drew Lloyd (14 off 19 not out).
These two met at the crease in the 32nd over, requiring a further 31 runs off 53 balls.
The pair had some nervous moments with airing shots, particularly in the dying stages, but they managed to fall safely.
The unbeaten partnership of 32 runs proved a match-winning one as Fleming smashed back-to-back fours in consecutive overs to hit the winning runs with three overs to spare.
In a gallant Tigers bowling effort, Violi picked up 2-20 off eight, while Harry Harcourt, Robert Rush and Stefan each took a wicket.
Walsh said there were some very nervous moments throughout the game, but felt good to be hoisting the Kookaburra Cup for the second time in four years.
“Woorinen got off to a really good start with the bat at 2-100 odd before Ben Sheridan came on and really changed the game with a few quick wickets,” Walsh said.
“I felt they were well on their way to a 170-plus total, so to restrict them under 150 probably proved the difference in the end.
“In terms of our batting, everyone chipped in, but it was Fleming and Lloyd who got us over the line in the end there.
“It wasn’t until those final two overs when Fleming started to find the boundary that I started to calm down a bit with the nerves.”
Sheridan admitted he was a bit dirty not to have claimed a hat-trick, but said it was pleasing the whole team managed to perform with the ball.
“I thought the umpire was a bit stiff not to call one of my hat-trick balls out, but that’s cricket in the end,” he said.
“It was a great bowling performance from the team considering I thought they were going to make 200 runs at one stage.
“We’ve been in these situations a few times, including in finals, where teams have pushed us, so it’s a good feeling to stand up and win.”
While Sheridan starred with the ball, opening bowler Ben Shadbolt finished with 1-22 off eight, while Walsh, Boulton and Jack Millard each claimed a scalp.
Walsh said the victory will also give them a confidence boost heading into the back-end of the season, where a back-to-back two-day premiership is now in their sights.
“A lot can still happen between now and then, and anything can happen in finals,” he said.
“We were lucky against Woorinen back in round two and again on Friday, but we know they’re a good side.
“There are a couple of other teams who pose a threat as well, so it’ll be interesting to see how the next couple of months pan out.”
