The 17-year-old claimed 3-10 in a match-winning spell as Darley got home by four runs in Sunday night's final against Napoleons-Sebastopol at Alfredton.

It was the Lions’ maiden first grade premiership in the BCA.

Beaton turned the game when he dismissed Anthony Taylor for 38 with his second ball.

The hard-hitting Taylor, who scored seven boundaries off the 30 balls he faced, was in total control and had Napoleons-Sebastopol in a dominant position at 2-65 after eight overs chasing Darley's 9-112.

Taylor's departure changed the complexion of the game.

Beaton's second over was just as menacing as he dried up the runs.

By the end of the tall off-spinner's second over, he had 2-1 and Naps-Sebas was 5-71.

Herring said there was no doubt that Beaton had turned the game in Darley's favour.

He said this had not been a one-off, with the youngster being pivotal to Darley's T20 campaign.

He took 8-52 across four games with an economy rate of four runs an over.

Beaton also took 2-17 in Darley's semi-final win over Wendouree on Sunday.

Naps-Sebas still had the match well in hand with 28 needed off the last six overs and then nine off the last over.

Sri Lankan pacemen Roshan Anuruddha (1-21) and Anurruda Rajapaksha (0-21) were given the task of delivering the last four overs of the innings and did the job, with the latter having the last say.

Darley veteran Matt Cape rounded out a solid double with 2-21 after top scoring for his side with 32 off 25 balls.

Taylor took 3-22 for Naps-Sebas, which progressed to the final after defeating North Ballarat in a semi-final earlier on Sunday. Darley beat Wendouree to progress to the decider.

SEMI-FINALS

Napoleons-Sebastopol 3-124 d North Ballarat 9-120

Darley 1-114 d Wendouree 113

FINAL

DARLEY 9-12 d NAPOLEONS-SEBASTOPOL 9-108

DARLEY

LG Herring c J Eyers b N Pantzidis 6

A Rajapaksha b A Taylor 10

R Anuruddha lbw b B Adams 0

B Barnes c J Eyers b ND Chalmers 3

M Alexander run out (A Taylor) 8

M Cape c BJ Symons b N Pantzidis 32

Dr Locke c J Eyers b ND Chalmers 9

N Whan not out 22

D Hoey lbw b A Taylor 5

C Beaton lbw b A Taylor 0

Da Locke not out

Extras 16 

Total 9-112 

Overs 20

FOW: 23 (A Rajapaksha) 23 (LG Herring) 26 (R Anuruddha) 28 (B Barnes) 51 (M Alexander) 78 (Dr Locke) 89 (M Cape) 109 (D Hoey) 109 (C Beaton)

Bowling 

BJ Symons 4-0-0-22 

A Taylor 4-0-3-22 

N Pantzidis 4-0-2-24 

B Adams 4-0-1-11 

ND Chalmers 3-0-2-15 

J Lynch 1-0-0-14

NAPOLEONS-SEBASTOPOL

A Taylor c & b C Beaton 38

ND Chalmers b Da Locke 1

B Trew lbw b M Cape 1

BJ Symons c D Hoey b M Cape 30

J Eyers c M Cape b R Anuruddha 1

N Doonan c LG Herring b C Beaton 1

B Carrigg c Dr Locke b C Beaton 5

D Scott run out (D Hoey) 9

B Adams not out 8

N Pantzidis run out (D Hoey) 1

J Lynch not out 1

Extras 12 

Total 9-108 

Overs 20

FOW: 3 (ND Chalmers) 6 (B Trew) 65 (A Taylor) 66 (J Eyers) 71 (N Doonan) 88 (B Carrigg) 89 (BJ Symons) 105 (D Scott) 107 (N Pantzidis)

Bowling 

Da Locke 2-0-1-21 

M Cape 4-0-2-21 

A Rajapaksha 4-0-0-21 

B Barnes 2-0-0-13 

C Beaton 4-1-3-10 

R Anuruddha 4-0-1-21