Sport
14 December, 2023
Laanecoorie Dunolly and Beaufort ready for one-day showdown in final match of 2023
The final game of 2023 pits defending champions Laanecoorie Dunolly against fariytale team Beaufort, who have recovered from the wooden spoon in 2022/23 to make their first grand final of the season. There’s a very friendly aura surrounding both...

The final game of 2023 pits defending champions Laanecoorie Dunolly against fariytale team Beaufort, who have recovered from the wooden spoon in 2022/23 to make their first grand final of the season.
There’s a very friendly aura surrounding both teams — one of distinct respect for the other’s achievements, echoed by both leaders in Laane’s Matt Smith and Beaufort’s Ben Woolidge.
Both teams have had a vastly different path to the grand final.
Laane have had three consecutive wins, and were tracking along well for a fourth last week when they had Carisbrook 7/59 before the rain that surrounded the district last week finally caught up with them.
In comparison, Beaufort have not played a game in a month due to wet weather, but to say they hadn’t earned their spot in this game would be a disservice to their batting lineup, who worked hard to chase down totals of over 180 in both their games.
The game will be played at True Blue Floors Oval, with an 11 am start time slated tomorrow morning.
Beaufort captain Ben Woolidge has adopted a nothing-to-lose attitude for his charges this weekend.
After all, it’s been a fairytale for the Crows to get back into title contention this year after such a tough season in 2022/23, and they don’t want it to stop at the final hurdle in the one-day arena.
“We are fortunate enough that we’ll go out with no pressure on us and play freely. It’s exciting for the club — we’ll give it everything, there is no doubt about that,” he said.
“Laane have the reputation they have, and they have it for a reason — their team is unbelievable. With that, there is a bit of pressure, and we were also the last team to beat them, so we are out to do it again.
“It would be a fairytale, but there’s still a lot to play for the rest of the season.
“Having said that, we are wholly and solely focused on this weekend, but then we know we still have to get on with the rest of the season and back up what we have done in the first half of the year.
“We are in a really good mindset, and we want to take the crown away from Laane.”
Beaufort’s renaissance has come about thanks to an improved batting and bowling depth chart which has seen them improve their standing within the league.
Throughout last season, much of the reliance was on Lachlan Oddie, who scored the fifth-most runs, while sitting 20th in most wickets.
So far this season, however, he has taken his game to another level, sitting second on the run-scoring charts with 258 runs at an average of 64.5, while also sitting third with nine wickets on the bowling chart, while also having the best economy rate of any bowler that has bowled more than 10 overs this season.
More importantly, his form has allowed Beaufort teammates to follow in his footsteps.
Jay English leads the way with 14 wickets, while Blake Jantzen has been in good form too with seven.
From a batting perspective, Jack Smith currently lies 11th on the charts with 146 runs, while Kriss Ellis is 15th with 132 runs. Last season, their next best batters after Oddie ranked 20th (Jantzen) and 24th (Craig Grant) respectively.
Woolidge offered an insight into what was behind the shift for the Crows.
“I back my boys and I always will, regardless of what we have to chase. I let them go out there and play with the freedom they want to play with,” he said.
“Part of that is everyone’s happy. They enjoy playing cricket together and we have a settled side now. Everyone is gelling well together and it’s been working for us. Regardless of what the result is, we’re very happy.
“There’s a few guys that are sneaking under the radar that haven’t had to bat too much because our top order is doing the job.
“When we have needed them, they have put on handy little totals, which helps them build in confidence.
“Knowing that we can bat a bit deeper is a massive positive, and the thing is now, I have seven or eight different bowlers I can go to as well, which makes my job a lot easier, instead of relying on the same people every week.
“But everyone is playing more consistent cricket, which is the key.”
Their increased depth was evident in their last meeting with Laane, despite losing by five wickets.
On that occasion, it was youngsters Cooper Cahill and Ben Grant which set the tone, helping restrict Laane to 4/55 before their experience helped get them over the line.
Nevertheless, Woolidge said he had taken plenty out of that game.
“Leading up to that game, Laane had lost six wickets for the season, and we managed to grab five, which was a massive plus for us,” he said.
“Our batting did let us down a little bit that day, but we went back and worked on a lot of different things after that to improve. But there was a lot to take, particularly from the young guys that day who bowled well.”
Woolidge says that will allow them to contend for the long run — that this isn’t a flash in the pan.
“I think for the next few years, Beaufort will be up there,” he said.
“We have a lot of good juniors coming through that haven’t been lucky enough to break into our A grade team just because of our sheer numbers, but they will really boost A grade and our A reserve over the next few years, and we feel we can be contenders, not just a one-season wonder.”
A big contingent of Beaufort supporters will make their way to the game for what Woolidge expects will be a friendly grand final, with plenty of mutual respect.
“It will be a great game. The club is going to be there in big numbers, everyone is excited about the day and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.
“Best of luck to Matt Smith and all the boys at Dunolly, they are a great bunch of blokes and we get along with them well. We’re looking forward to the day as a club, and we hope it’s a regular occurrence in the future.”
Laanecoorie Dunolly, for their part, have the chance to take a second grand final of the season, having already claimed the T20 Col Trickey Cup.
That drives captain Matt Smith — but first of all, he needed to make a special mention to Beaufort’s terrific rise.
“First and foremost, it’s fantastic to see Beaufort participating in a grand final,” he said.
“They had a lean year last season, but it speaks volumes of the culture of the club and the people within it, and the work that’s been done to put them in this position to be playing off for a premiership.
“They’ve added a lot of depth to their batting and bowling unit, and as you do that, it’s a key factor as to why you improve as a cricket club.”
However, as is normally the case, Laane aren’t in a particularly giving mood either way, and they want to keep ticking off goals to have the opportunity to claim a clean sweep for the 2023/24 season.
“The boys are excited about the opportunity ahead of us on Saturday,” Smith said.
“It’s another step in the direction that we want to go by the end of the season, and another milestone to tick off.
“We’ll play the game that’s in front of us and we’re fully aware of what this would mean for our committee, supporters and community.”
Laane have had their performers across the board this season with both bat and ball.
With the bat, Luke Smith has led the way with 325 runs at an average of 81, while Tom Hannett has been rock solid opening the batting with 200 runs for the year. Add in Sam Bartlett, who has scored 140 runs at an average of 70, and Matt, who has scored 126 runs at an average of 63, and there’s plenty of depth from the batting side of things.
With the ball, there’s plenty of contributors. Joe Lovel has taken another step this season, with the youngster second on the bowling charts with 11 wickets at an average of 14.3. Then you have Daniel Romeo, Sergio Rosier and Bartlett with nine wickets each, while Zach Graham and Luke have taken seven wickets each.
Incredibly, all bowlers that have taken multiple wickets this season boast an average below 21 with the ball.
Matt, as a result, says with both bat and ball, it’s about selflessness and taking moments.
“The way the season has gone so far, the results have gone our way, and at times, we have had to be flexible,” he said.
“We’ve had to be selfless with bat and ball to make sure people are getting an opportunity to spend time at the crease with the bat, or to make sure they get a bowl.
“We talk about being reliable and making the most of our moments.
“Some players have had more moments than others this season, but we always talk about being ready, and that comes down to the standards we hold at training. When we do that, we are actively participating for 90 to 95 per cent of the time we are there.
“We don’t have a complicated game plan — it’s all about doing the basics really well, making the most of our opportunities.
“Sometimes, that’s all it is, such as taking a 50/50 chance in the field or turning a two into one, putting another batsman on strike and building pressure, sometimes that brings about a wicket.
“I think what we’ve been good at over time is doing the little things well, and those things add up.
“By doing that, we save about 20 or 30 runs in the field, and with good running between the wickets when batting, that adds 20 or 30 runs. Just like that, we’ve picked up 40 or 60 runs difference in a game, and that adds up.”
Matt said it was a nice bonus being able to get a little bit of game time in last week against Carisbrook, which has kept them up and about for this week’s grand final, which he believes can give them an edge.
“To be honest, we weren’t expecting any cricket at all, but sometimes, the rain just goes around Dunolly,” he said.
“To get 26 overs in last week and have Carisbrook seven wickets down is a credit to our bowlers, who are also aware that the conditions were a bit difficult for batting.
“We know that the conditions this week will be completely different, and we have to make sure we’re hitting the mark and asking questions of opposition batsmen more often than not.”
Matt says it should be a pitch that offers plenty for both bowlers and batters, meaning he’s not too fussed whether he’ll have to set a target or chase one down.
“Jarred Russell does the wicket with some help from Ralph Williams and Geoff Mottram, and they do a fantastic job of dishing up a great wicket every weekend,” he said.
“We make sure there’s a bit in there for the bowlers early on and then flattens out to become a bit more of a batting wicket as the day goes on.”
“But we’re happy to set a total and we’re just as happy to chase. It doesn’t bother us either way.
“We’ve been economical with the ball and restrict opposition teams, and we’ve proven with the bat that we can score quickly, and at around five runs an over, which puts pressure on the opposition and their strategies to try limit our influence with the bat.”