Sport
17 February, 2026
MDCA earn Country Week Provincial division spot despite Grand Final defeat
The MDCA will enter unfamiliar heights among the upper echelon of Victoria’s cricket associations in next season’s Melbourne Country Week after their impressive runner-up finish last week earned them elevation to the Provincial division.
Last Thursday’s nail-biting T20 victory over Warrnambool Moyne officially secured the association’s promotion as they entered Friday’s finale with an unblemished 4-0 record.
Unfortunately for the MDCA, Warrnambool Moyne were thirsty for some Grand Final revenge, bowling the MDCA’s stacked batting lineup for 69 before chasing them down in 10 overs.
Despite not coming away with the division two trophy, MDCA captain Sam Bartlett was extremely pleased with his team’s performance, calling it a massive achievement.
“We had a bit of a goal in mind of trying to make a final and finish in the top four, but once we finished top two, we were all pretty excited for what we achieved during the week, being such a small association compared to others,” he said.
“We bowled really well and probably out of the last three years that’s the best we have performed with the bat.
“It was massive to have everyone chip in when they needed to from time to time, whether that was with the bat or with the ball.
“Everybody at some stage during the week had a match-defining moment or an innings or a spell with the ball.”
The MDCA entered Thursday’s final group match against Warrnambool Moyne knowing a victory would secure their spot in the Grand Final against the already qualified Warrnambool Moyne.
However, Mother Nature intervened in their plans, with a persistent downpour above Moorleigh Community Village Reserve delay-ing the start of the match for nearly three hours.
Following extensive work from the grounds crew, the contest was able to get underway after being rescheduled to a T20.
After his team won the toss and elected to bat, Cameron Williams got Warrnambool Moyne off to a blistering start, hitting five fours and a six in the first four overs.
Pymer responded with devas-tating precision for the MDCA, taking four wickets in his last two overs to single-handedly shake his opponents from 0/37 to 4/53.
Pymer’s Beaufort teammate Trevelyan-Clark followed his example with three wickets in nine balls to have Warrnambool Moyne suddenly teetering at 7/59.
A 35-run partnership between Oliver Mahncke and Ryan Mottram steadied the ship for Warrnambool Moyne, finishing on 9/109.
After going wicketless in his first two matches, Pymer proved his credentials with a 4/27 performance, with Trevelyan-Clark close behind on 3/11.
While Warrnambool Moyne’s batting innings started superbly, the MDCA’s response opened with a nightmare as Ben Rantall removed Oliver Bennett and Nafis Shaikh to have the MDCA 2/0 after four balls.
Even after Rantall claimed his third victim in Asim Akhtar in the third over, Akhtar’s Colts teammate Ben Evans combined with Carisbrook’s William Coutts to get the MDCA back on track with a 42-run stand.
After Evans was removed for 22, the MDCA still needed 54 runs with 48 balls remaining.
Enter Bartlett.
Assisted by Coutts’ quick running between the wickets, Bartlett sent the MDCA into overdrive, smashing two fours and two sixes before Coutts was dismissed for 24.
Two balls later, Bartlett ended the MDCA’s run chase in style, as his reverse slog sweep that sailed over the boundary completed his team’s five-wicket victory with 10 balls in hand and ended his knock on 44 not out from just 28 balls.
With promotion now secured, the MDCA entered Friday’s Grand Final rematch with an extra pep in their step.
However, after being sent in to bat after losing the toss, the MDCA were met by a Ben Rantall jackhammer.
With the MDCA already struggling at 2/17, the tearaway quick recorded a hat-trick by dismissing Shaikh, Bartlett and Akhtar, placing the MDCA in a world of hurt.
Laanecoorie Dunolly’s Josh Fitzpatrick and Alex Cook mounted a spirited fightback with a sustained 42-run partnership.
However, once Fitzpatrick was removed after a quickfire 28, the wheels well and truly came off for the MDCA, bowled out for 69 in the 23rd over.
After being standouts with the bat, Fitzpatrick and Cook claimed a wicket each with the ball, but it couldn’t stop Warrnambool Moyne from clinching the division two premiership with an eight-wicket victory.
“We got to have a look at a few blokes from (Warrnambool) on Thursday, and we had a bit of a plan of how we were going to attack it,” Bartlett said.
“Unfortunately, it was a good toss for Warrnambool to win. They sent us in with a little bit in the wicket early, but nothing too drastic.
“They had a couple of blokes who bowled really well, their captain (Rantall) led by the front with a hat-trick early on and four wickets in his opening spell that tore the game apart.
“We didn’t have an answer for it this time around. Sometimes you have those days in cricket where things don’t go to plan.”