By Steve Ebbels
After a great semi-final win last week against top finishing side Marysville, Healesville went into this week’s Grand Final of the Yarra Valley Hub (Greg Mitchell Shield) against Powelltown confident that their best would be competitive but still well aware they were the underdogs.
Healesville won the toss and skipper Jack Plunkett elected to have a bat. Father/Son opening pair of Dave and Jack Plunkett looked comfortable at the crease early and got us off to a steady start. When skipper Jack fell in the 6th over and Dave shortly thereafter in the 7th things were looking not quite so good for the visitors.
When Healesville star batter Matt Cooper fell in the 11th over things were looking even less promising for the Healesville boys but James Shutz and Joe Kay managed to steady the ship slightly before Joe was dismissed just prior to the break. Healesville 4/68 at the halfway mark of their innings.
Shutz (top-scoring with 24) fell not long after the break and a steady fall of wickets found Healesville at 8/91 after the 29th over. Looking like they might struggle to bat out the overs.
Robert Hadj (20) and young Sam Drummond put on a very handy 9th wicket partnership of 20.
Healesville finish up bowled out in the 34th over for 115.
With a less than par total on the board and facing a very strong Powelltown batting lineup, Healesville was going to have to be at their absolute best to stay in the game. When the first 2 balls of opening bowler Sam Dennett were dispatched to the boundary there was an ominous silence amongst the Healesville camp but when Dennett sent the stumps cartwheeling with the 4th ball of the over, a huge momentum swing started going Healesvilles way.
With great support from James Shutz bowling at the other end, Dennett proceeded to tear through the Powelltown top order clean bowling the next 3 Powelltown batters to have the home team 4/30 after 7 overs. With Dennett having inflicted the early blow to Powelltown skipper Jack Plunkett looked to his change bowlers to keep the balance of the game in Healesville’s favor. Sam Drummond and Pete Nolan (following on
from his 4/17 in last week’s semi-final) didn’t disappoint and along with a few good overs of support from Bryan Louw, managed to restrict Powelltowns scoring to only 23 runs from the next 10 overs with Sam Drummond picking up a crucial wicket in this spell as well. Powelltown 5/55 at the drinks break.
With the game possibly in the balance, skipper Plunkett rolled the dice and tossed the ball back to Dennett. He didn’t disappoint bowling a maiden in his 6th over and then Luke McMillan took a wicket in his first over thanks to some good glovework behind the stumps from Vinny Plunkett.
Dennett then proceeded to take 2 more wickets in his final over, the first thanks to a brilliant catch from Jack Plunkett, and then sending the stumps cartwheeling yet again for his 6 h wicket. When Luke McMillan picked up another wicket in his next over Healesville had Powelltown well and truly on the ropes at 9/62 after 22 overs.
Powelltowns last pairing wasn’t going to give in easily though and with plenty of overs left managed to bat on for the next 7 overs before Sam Drummond finally managed to get one of Powelltowns tail-enders to sky one and Matt Cooper took the catch to give Healesvilles the Premiership.
Sam Dennett was outstanding with the ball (and on his birthday no less) finishing with a player of the match performance of 6/17 of 7 overs. Sam Drummond 2/11 off 4.1 and Luke McMillan 2/5 off 3 overs picking up the other wickets. Pete Nolan was also outstanding giving up only 3 runs from his 4 overs.
A massive congratulations to Jack and his players for an outstanding season and a well-deserved premiership. As a club we could not be prouder or more thankful for all the work Jack put into getting this team up and going this season and to be able to share in a premiership with his dad Dave and brother Vinny in the same team is a great reward for his efforts and possibly a first for any Healesville premiership team.
