2021-22 KOOKABURRA CUP GRAND FINAL
NYAH DISTRICT v ST. MARY’S-TYNTYNDER
Friday, February 4
5.30pm at Swan Hill Recreation Reserve
NYAH DISTRICT
12-MAN SQUAD
Charlie Boulton – left-hand batsman/right arm fast-medium bowler
Scored a match-winning 62 against RSL to send the Demons into the final. Has had a breakout season with the bat – and will be required to tie down an end with the ball.
Mitch Grinham – right-hand batsman
Determined opening batsman who makes you earn his wicket. If he can bat through the innings, the Demons will put a big score on the board.
Dean Harrop – right-hand batsman
Aggressive top order batsman who will need to fire for the Demons to post a competitive total. Scored 66 against Wandella in the first game of the season.
Justin Toomey – left-hand batsman/wicket keeper
Veteran batsman who has wound the clock back this season. Can score quickly depending on the situation and will be one of the key players for Nyah District.
Drew Lloyd – right-hand batsman/left arm fast-medium bowler
Turned his hand to bowling quick this season with immediate results. Has opened the batting at times this season and will be looking to find the gaps in the middle order.
Oliver Boulton – right-hand batsman
Aggressive middle-order batsman who nearly dragged his team over the line in last year’s A Grade Grand Final with some late innings hitting.
Shane Fleming – right-hand batsman
Returned to the side in recent weeks. Experienced batsman who will be looking to rotate the strike.
Ben Sheridan – right-hand batsman/right-arm medium bowler
Was man of the match in the 2019-20 Kookaburra Cup Final, taking 5 for 34 against Woorinen. The Demons will be hoping for more of the same with his wily medium pacers tonight.
Ash Thompson – right-hand batsman/right-arm medium bowler
Experienced cricketer who gives his team options with both bat and ball. Will be the go-to player to finish off the innings for the Demons.
Mackie Rogers – right-arm fast-medium bowler
Has come of age this season as a first-change bowler, with an ability to bowl tight and take wickets at important stages of the game. Can also hit a ball very long.
Ben Shadbolt (Captain) – right-arm fast-medium bowler
Has led his team brilliantly with the ball in his first season as captain, taking fifteen wickets – the most in the SHDCA to this point.
Cooper Andrews – right-arm medium bowler
Has become the partnership breaker for the Demons with his medium pace. Will be called upon quickly if the Saints start to get a run on.
ST. MARY’S-TYNTYNDER
12-MAN SQUAD
Riley Daniels – left-hand batsman
Has been St. Mary’s most consistent batsman, scoring an impressive 130 runs at 26.00 in the Kookaburra Cup competition. Will be one of the Saints’ key players with the bat.
Bailey Codling – right-hand batsman/wicket keeper
Big game player who dominated the McDonald’s T20 Grand Final prior to Christmas. Playing against his former team, is one to watch with his aggressive batting at the top of the order.
Jake Foster – left-hand batsman
First season at St. Mary’s-Tyntynder and has made an immediate impact with his aggressive batting. Scored a vital half century in his last game against Wandella.
Jared Halligan – right-hand batsman
Likes to score his runs quickly, and if allowed to bat for an extended period could easily take the game away from Nyah District.
Austin McKerrow (Co-Captain) – right-hand batsman/right arm off-spin bowler
Co-captain who can impact the game with either bat or ball. Steady middle-order batsman who often holds the Saints’ innings together and can also send down some tight overs with his off-spin.
Jack Shannahan (Co-Captain) – Right-Hand Batsman/Right Arm Medium Bowler
Class batsman who rarely plays a bad knock and if allowed to bat for a long period, will take the game away from Nyah District very quickly. Can also send down some very economical overs if required.
Corey Daniels – right-hand batsman/right-arm fast bowler
Perhaps the leading all-rounder in the SHDCA. Can rip through a team with the ball and score quickly with the bat, making him a player to watch.
Charlie King – left-hand batsman/right-arm medium-fast bowler
Economical first-change bowler who has had a breakout season with the ball. Suffered a stress fracture in his foot recently, but will maintain his place as a handy middle-order batsman.
Frank Violi – right-hand batsman/left-arm medium bowler
Returned to the A Grade side two weeks ago against RSL and led St. Mary’s to victory, scoring an unbeaten 49. Hasn’t put a foot wrong since and deserves his place in the team.
Dom Violi – right-arm off-spin bowler
Has been the SHDCA’s leading spin bowler for a number of seasons. Consistent wicket taker and can also tie down an end when required.
Nathaniel Holmes-Brown – right-arm fast bowler
Economical opening bowler who rarely bowls a loose ball. Was the Saints’ go-to man when the McDonald’s T20 Grand Final went into a super over before Christmas.
Bailey Talbot – right-arm medium-fast bowler
Handy depth bowler who will be called upon to tie down an end through the middle of the innings. Took 2 for 22 against RSL in a crucial win to make the Final.MATCH PREVIEW
ST. MARY’S-TYNTYNDER will be looking to add the Kookaburra Cup title to their McDonald’s T20 trophy, when they face off against Nyah District in tonight’s grand final.
The Saints have been the form team of 2021-22, after having gone through the T20 tournament unbeaten. They were unlucky to have not done the same in the one-day competition – only losing to Wandella in the last round when taking the field with a severely depleted side.
On that occasion, they were missing four members of their batting line-up (Jack Shannahan, Corey Daniels, Austin McKerrow and Jared Halligan) yet fell just short of chasing down the Bombers’ massive score of 207.
The Saints’ big strength with the bat is their ability to score quickly – and their potential to compile a large score – with the likes of Bailey Codling, Shannahan, Halligan and Jake Foster all possessing an aggressive attitude to batting.
Codling, who will be lining up against his former side, will be one of the key players, especially after his performance earlier this season in the McDonald’s T20 Grand Final.
It’s not just with the bat where St. Mary’s-Tyntynder can hurt you though, as their bowling has long been their strength. Corey Daniels and Nathaniel Holmes-Brown are the best opening combination in the competition – but they are well supported by first change Bailey Talbot and off-spinners Dom Violi and McKerrow.
Charlie King adds an extra dimension to this game as well, as if he has fully recovered from his foot stress fracture, he will only add to the Saints plethora of quality options with the ball.
The key to Nyah District’s chances will lie with their batting – and whether they are able to overcome St. Mary’s stringent bowling attack and put a defendable score on the board. Charlie Boulton has found form at the right time, while Justin Toomey has been at his reliable best with the willow – but the challenge will be to get contributions from the rest of the top and middle order.
Dean Harrop’s potential return to the line-up will be a boost, as he has the capacity to score runs in quick fashion when he’s on, while the possible inclusion of Ben Sheridan will provide their bowling attack with another wicket-taking option.
If the Demons can find a way to put at least 150 on the board, they’ll be right in the contest, as their bowling has shown an ability to not only take wickets during the big moments, but also keep it tight when momentum is going the other way.
In his first season as captain, Ben Shadbolt has led from the front with 15 wickets from his last five matches. It’s not just Shadbolt that has been in good form however, with youngsters Mackie Rogers, Drew Lloyd and Cooper Andrews all stepping up at crucial moments to get their team to this stage.
In what promises to be another classic Kookaburra Cup decider, it could well come down to the toss of the coin – and which team gets first use of the batting paradise that is the Swan Hill Recreation Reserve pitch.
