Traralgon returns from

Cricket Gcl

BY TOM PARRY

TRARALGON District won the Gippsland Cricket League Grand Final on Sunday, after thumping Sale-Maffra on their home turf.

TheSharkswon thecoin toss and electing to batfirst at Sale Oval, on apitch that was hard, dry and had minimal grass coverage.

Savefor the overcast skies and gusty winds, conditions could not have been more perfect for batting.

NathanFreitag got Traralgonoff to the prefect start, bowling Adrian Burgiel with the very first ball of the innings.

It was an ominous sign of things to come for the Sharks.

Ewan Williamswas next to strike, tearing throughSale-Maffra’stop ordertodismiss heavy hitters Zac Hurley, Steve Spoljaric and Rohan Diamond, all lost for single digits in the first 10 overs of the game.

Jack Tatterson and Tom Morrisonoffered some resistance for the fifth wicket,but only briefly -they too were gone by the 16th over, both succumbing to the bowling of Mitch Harris.

Sale teammatesBen Jones and Garreth Wolmaransformed apartnership which also proved brief, lasting six overs with only 18 runs added.

Wolmaransthen combined with Jack Rietschel for another six-over stand, this one netting just 13 runs before the latter was trapped on his pads.

The very next over, Wolmarans was dismissed in similar circumstances, withSale-Maffra’s scorecard reading 9/80.

Sharks captain Dylan Bolton and RosedaleKilmany’sIsaacLove managed to save the Sharks from utter humiliation, scoring 36 runs between them in their 10th-wicket fightback.

It wasn’t enough -Sale-Maffra was all out for 116 in the 36th over.

Love was the last batsman to depart, finishing with an innings-best 25.

Williams and Harris took three wickets each, while Lee Stockdale snaggedtwo, andFreitag and James Pryde walked away with one each.

Traralgon had amuch stronger start to their innings, with openers Frank Marks and Stockdale making 42 runs between them in the first eight overs.

After Stockdale’s dismissal, Marks then partnered with his captain to add another 24 to Traralgon’s total.

Achange in bowlers brought an end to that

Gcl Senior Final

collaboration, withSpoljaricclean-bowlingMarks with his very first ball.

Twenty-two more runs were added by Freitag and Alistair Jenkin before Spoljaric struckagain, the captain caught-and-bowled for 26.

The late wickets of Ryan Morley and Matt Dyke hadthe Sharksbuzzing, but by then the premiership was well and truly in the Tornadoes grasp.

Jenkin hit the winning runs in the 42nd over withapullshottothe boundary; Traralgon District victorious by five wickets.

Markstop-scored with 42, while Jenkinwas next-bestwith 32 notout. Spoljaric waseasily the best of Sale-Maffra’s bowlers, with figures of 3/10.

Ewan Williams was awarded Man of the Match for his 3/18 off six overs.

Whilethe scorecard suggests otherwise, Traralgon’swin was nothing to be sniffedatSale-Maffra finished the regular GCL season undefeated.

THE Sharksenjoyed better success in the other two other GCL finals.

Sale-Maffra won the 18s and women’s against Bairnsdlae and Leongatha respectively.