The Rock Yerong Creek has won its first Holbrook and District Cricket Association premiership in eight years with a convincing win over defending premiers Culcairn at The Rock last Sunday.
It was fitting that veteran servant of the club Andrew Rainbird hit the winning runs midway through Sunday afternoon to cap off a stellar career in the HDCA both with TRYC and his beloved Yerong Creek.
The grand final will be big Andy’s last match in the HDCA with him and his family moving to Barellan, where they have purchased farming land and he will continue his cricket locally in Barellan.
The premiership victory was also the first for its skipper Jeremy Bunn who missed the last TRYC flag when he played Division two only after only playing half a season.
The star again for TRYC however was mid season recruit Chris Jackson who again demolished the Culcairn top order taking 5/49 off twenty three overs of pace bowling.
Jackson made his debut post Christmas break and after a sedate start in his first two matches he soon developed into a genuine match winner with the Lions having no answer to his level of class bowling.
For his efforts Jackson was named man of the match, his unbeaten innings of (21no) ensured the combine got home in a solid fifth wicket stand with Rainbird.
Day one saw Culcairn win the toss and bat with overcast skies looming. The Lions got away poorly and with only twenty eight overs being bowled on day one they slumped to 5/58 when play was abandoned.
With an early start on Sunday to compensate for the previous days lost time, the Lions fought back on top of a fine knock by skipper Steven Brand (43).
A handy ninth wicket stand from Justin Grove (24) and keeper Graeme Fruend (15) gave the Lions some hope to be dismissed in the 56th over for 142.
Lion hearted TRYC paceman Adam Hopkins bowled unchanged in the innings to finish with 4/72. He and Jackson kept relentless pressure on Culcairn throughout. Twenty six sundries were second top score.
Brand struck an early blow when Todd Hannam fell in the second over and when he clean bowled Bunn for (19), the Blues were 2/39.
Steve Jolliffe and Andrew Rainbird replicated their semi final form and with Jolliffe making (38) and Rainbird an unbeaten (37) they played a steadying role once again.
Wade Murphy played a nice cameo when Jolliffe departed to make (18), before the experienced pair of Rainbird and Jackson brought the premiership back to TRYC for a well deserved victory.
Culcairn regained some glory out of the weekend, when its Division two side easily accounted for Uranquinty by 39 runs at Culcairn, repeating the result of last years decider.
Culcairn compiled 7/177 with Jamie Cooper top scoring with a superb (92), veteran Brett Schulz (34) added great support. Warren Price, John Fernando and Marc Alcorn all took two wickets for Quinty
In reply Uranquinty started poorly and it was only a brief recovery from Tony McDonald (50) and Josh Marshman (35) that threatened the Lions dominance with a sixty three run stand.
Craig Wilson repeated last years heroics with the ball for Culcairn by claiming 4/9 to rout the Rosellas lower order and set up the Lions second straight win in Division Two.
DIVISION ONE GRAND FINAL
TRYC 4/147 - S Jolliffe 38, A Rainbird 37no, C Jackson 21 no, J Bunn 19, W Murphy 18; S Brand 2/29 defeated CULCAIRN 142 - S Brand 43, Sundries 26, J Grove 24, J Hodges 16, G Fruend 15; C Jackson 5/49, A Hopkins 4/72. TRYC won by 6 wickets.
DIVISION TWO GRAND FINAL
CULCAIRN 7/177 - J Cooper 92, B Schulz 34, A O’Keeffe 13; M Alcorn 2/28, W Price 2/30, J Fernando 2/49 defeated Uranquinty 139 - A McDonald 50, J Marshman 35; C Wilson 4/9, T Brown 2/24. Culcairn won by 38 runs.
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