Sport
25 March, 2024
Five in a row for Laanecoorie Dunolly with chase of 245 to defeat Clunes in two-day decider
It’s the highest of high fives for Laanecoorie Dunolly, who successfully defied recent history to chase down a target of 244 to defeat Clunes for their fifth successive Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) March premiership. The chase...
It’s the highest of high fives for Laanecoorie Dunolly, who successfully defied recent history to chase down a target of 244 to defeat Clunes for their fifth successive Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) March premiership.
The chase was easily the biggest Laane had faced in the last 15 years, and beyond that, one of the biggest chases ever seen in the MDCA’s recent history, with the target the highest successful grand final chase in the 21st century.
Clunes won the toss on a good batting wicket and elected to bat first, sensing the opportunity to give themselves a chance to settle into the game first.
With Brenton Jones and Anthony Ellis opening the batting, the Magpies had a good mix of power and two-day know-how in their opening combination.
It was used to good advantage early on, with both Jones and Ellis getting the score up to 35.
However, Ellis was first to go, skying a ball straight to the waiting arms of Nathan Leist at extra cover for the first wicket of the day off Sam Bartlett’s bowling.
Bartlett would soon have two wickets in two deliveries, with Corey Garth catching an edge on the first and only delivery of his innings, with Daniel Romeo taking a very sharp one-handed catch in one of the highlights of the match.
When Jones went shortly afterwards, caught behind by Tom Hannett, Clunes were in trouble at 3/36.
But Mitch Coppick and Jude McGuire, to their credit, went about their business with a calm attitude, and were able to put together an epic 183-run partnership which looked to swing the game Clunes’ way.
Signifying how hard it was for Laane to take wickets on the deck, they went two full sessions without taking a wicket.
Both McGuire and Coppick passed 50, with both zooming towards 100.
But Ben Gunn was the man for the job, securing the key breakthrough of McGuire for 85, before soon snaring Coppick for a terrific 97.
Lachlan Morganti was last man out for the day, run out for six, with Mark Allen and Jaxon Smyth unbeaten on 11 and four respectively as Clunes finished on 6/244.
Bartlett finished with the best figures of the day, taking 2/32 off 12 overs, with Gunn taking 2/74 off 24 overs.
When Laane came out to bat on day two, anticipation was in the air to see if the reigning champions could pass their biggest test thrown at them in some time.
For reference, it was the first time Laane had conceded 200 since the 12th round of the 2019/20 season when they conceded 230 to MKM, and the first time they were asked to chase above 200 since the final round of the 2018/19 season — a day they were bowled out for 65, chasing Colts Phelans’ 351.
Whatever the situation, Laane’s top order didn’t worry about it.
The opening partnership of Luke Smith and Hannett went to work early, and from the second over onwards, maintained a run rate which stayed above four an over for the bulk of the day.
Indeed, they had brought up 50 runs within 40 minutes of the day, and zoomed past 90 runs by drinks.
However, Clunes were able to slowly get themselves into the game.
It was Allen that proved to be a spark plug for the Magpies, taking a terrific catch off his own bowling to remove Smith for 43, and not long afterwards, Morganti had a wicket too, catching the edge of Joe Lovel to McGuire behind the stumps for a duck.
Clunes made it four wickets for just 31 runs soon after, with Ash Gunn trapping Hannett in front for a well-made 71, and Allen also trapping Sergio Rosier in front for seven.
With two new batsmen at the crease in Matt Smith and Bartlett, Laane were suddenly under a bit of pressure to deliver.
But the calmness of both experienced batsmen were what Laane needed in a time where the game was genuinely on the line, with Matt and Bartlett playing their shots at the right times.
That allowed them to put on 83 for the fifth wicket, and put them into a position where victory was merely a formality.
Bartlett was unable to finish off the job, removed for 34 thanks to a sharp catch from Noah Davies off Smyth’s bowling.
However, Matt’s unbeaten 67, as well as Zach Graham’s unbeaten eight, allowed Laane to share in the spoils of victory, and a fifth premiership in succession in a grand final of twists and turns.
Despite the defeat, Coppick was recognised by the umpires as the recipient of the best-on-ground medallion.
Speaking after the game, Matt was simply a relieved man.
“It is incredible. To win five in a row is a wonderful achievement for the club. We have so many people who do so much for this club. [President] Ralph Williams in particular, and for our supporters and committee, we play for each other and we have a wonderful culture, which I’m so proud of,” he said.
“These guys work hard. We know we have a strong team, but they all work hard for their success and they deserve every little bit of it.”
Matt said an air of positivity swept throughout the club on Saturday night, despite conceding 244.
“We were really positive when we walked off the field on Saturday. We felt like we bowled our hearts out and fielded our guts out,” he said.
“That was an absolute road of a batting wicket, and we didn’t feel like we did a lot wrong and they still made 244. We were optimistic and positive that if we batted well, we would win. We said they’d have to take all 10 wickets to win the game.
“I told them that I believed in all of them that they’d get the job done. They had been doing so throughout the season, and went through our stats in two-day cricket, the situations we’ve been in and the scores we posted, and we took great belief from the process that people would step up and get the job done when they were called upon.”
Matt needed to pay credit to Coppick and McGuire for their epic knock which helped the Magpies keep themselves in the game.
“We felt like Clunes were winning the first session, and then we took three late wickets, and at 3/36, we had a big momentum swing,” he said.
“We felt if we could come out after drinks and go bang, bang, we could break their back potentially, but real credit to Mitch Coppick and Jude McGuire, they got themselves in, wore us down and put on a magnificent partnership. It was a great display of batting, and it gave them a good chance to post a good score.
“We went two sessions without a wicket, which was very foreign to us, and we felt like we weren’t doing a lot wrong, we just weren’t getting a wicket.”
Nevertheless, it was also an opportunity for Luke Smith and Hannett to prove once again how much of a capable top-order combination they were, something that wasn’t lost on Matt.
“Tom Hannett and Luke Smith have been exceptional at the top of the order — their partnership has set us up time after time, game after game, and their first session was super important while the ball was hard and doing a bit before the wicket flattened out, and to be nearly none for 100 at the 18 over mark set the game up and put us in a wonderful position,” he said.
“Luke has had an incredible season. His consistency has just been phenomenal. We wanted to bat deep, knowing we could continue to score throughout the day and put pressure on the bowling attacks. That was evident, we went at four an over for the first 20 and up to tea as well, and that broke the game open for us, that we were able to tick the scoreboard over.
“We had a lot of pressure on us to win this game, chasing 240 is a lot of pressure, but we have stood up to pressure time and time again. To claim the clean sweep this year makes it an incredible season.”
Matt also paid tribute to Bartlett, who’s experience in pressure situations helped settle Laane just as Clunes had got themselves back into the game on the second day.
“They bowled very well after drinks and took 4/25, 4/30, whatever it was, and momentum started to swing their way. They bowled their hearts out and got themselves in the game. But Sam Bartlett, who is a quality cricketer and has proven that over a long period of time, really stepped up and the partnership we were able to put on really broke their back,” he said.
Matt says it will be business as usual as Laane gears up for celebrating their 50th year.
“We’ll celebrate and we’re looking forward to a big year for our 50th year, and hopefully get some key signings in across the winter and set ourselves up for a tilt for six in a row."
