CARNGHAM cricketers are celebrating a remarkable Grenville Cricket Association grand final victory over Haddon, headlined by a stunning knock from lower-order batter Marshall Cain.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coming in with his team in dire straits at 6-91, Cain lit up the Carranballac oval with one of the great grand final knocks seen in the competition, an innings they'll talk of for years to come.
His unbeaten 87 off just 71 balls included nine fours and four sixes as he and lower-order partner Justin O'Brien rescued the reigning title holders from a seemingly impossible position.
To put the innings into context, it is just the fourth time this season that Cain had walked out to the crease for innings scores of 1, 2 and 9. But clearly staying fresh and doing the work in the nets has paid handsome dividends as he tore the Haddon attack apart when the game seemed to be heading in its direction.
O'Brien's supporting knock of 55 not out was slightly less of a surprise having made an unbeaten 45 in the semi-final, but again prior to those two innings' he had only managed at a top score of 18 throughout the season.
The pair combined for an unbeaten 151-run stand as Carngham reached 6-241 from its 40 overs, a score which always looked too much for the shell-shocked Haddon.
Early days in the run chase though Haddon looked to be getting on with things. Openers Matthew Harrington and veteran Shaun McArthur, who earlier in the weeks was awarded as the club's first ever 300 game player, put on 46 for the first wicket.
But it was McArthur who was first to go, caught and bowled by Carngham pacemen James Richardson for 24. Just 11 runs later opening partner Harrington was adjudged LBW to league best-and-fairest winner Jayden Edwards and from there the rot set in.
Just like they did with the bat, it was O'Brien and Cain that then got to work in the second half of the innings, but this time it was O'Brien who shined brightest with 5-16 from his eight overs, while Cain chipped in with the wicket of Ben LeMarshall for nine as Haddon crashed, losing 6-22 and all hope of a miracle comeback.
While Haddon managed to bat out the full 40 overs, it was never likely to see a similar recovery, eventually ending the innings at 9-139.
For Carngham it's back-to-back titles and a result richly deserved having sat on top of the ladder all season, while Haddon will no doubt be disappointed with the result, it can sit back over winter knowing it did well to get through to the big dance, having knocked off Carranballac in the semi-final.
