In a season where one team has stood above all the others all year, the Gisborne and District Cricket Association B-grade grand final match-up between Diggers Rest Bulla and East Sunbury is a surprise to most people.
It was a shock win to East Sunbury against Rupertswood in the semi-finals which really opened up the premiership race.
Rupertswood had dominated the season and was the red hot favourite for the premiership. East Sunbury and Diggers Rest Bulla were among five teams fighting for finals spots in the last few weeks of the season.
With no Rupertswood, it is the new kids on the block East Sunbury to face last year’s runners-up Diggers Rest Bulla.
It’s East Sunbury’s first season in the B-grade competition after finishing runners-up to Ashfield in C-grade last season.
For Diggers Rest Bulla, it’s a third grand final in a row. They won the C-grade competition in 2012-13, before losing in the B-grade grand final to Gisborne last season.
Results between the two teams this season
Round 4
Diggers Rest Bulla got the points in the first clash between the two sides in round four. East Sunbury elected to bat and made 126.
Brandon Nicholls top scored with 27 for the Thunder, with Andrew Knight and Rhys Berry taking three wickets each for Diggers Rest Bulla.
Opener Shannon O’Keefe was the star for the bat with Diggers Rest Bulla, scoring 68 not out as they reached the target five wickets down.
Round 14
The round 14 match took on extra significance with the winner to secure second spot and a home final.
It was again Diggers Rest Bulla which came out on top with their bowlers being the key.
After making a very gettable 128, Diggers Rest Bulla bowled the Thunder out for a miserly 69.
O’Keefe took 4-6 off his seven overs and Lincoln Grant 3-4 for the Burras.
The season so far
Diggers Rest Bulla
It has been an up-and-down season for Diggers Rest Bulla, but they seem to be firing at the right time.
Before Christmas, the Burras struggled to field their number one side and it showed in the results.
The side struggled with the bat and only had two team totals over 150 before the Christmas break.
As players returned so did the Burras’ form as they fought to make the finals. They entered the finals as one of the form teams in the competition having won their last four games of the regular season.
They made it five in a row with victory over St Anthonys in the semi-final.
Batting first, Diggers Rest Bulla made 182 on the back of 65 from Lindon Dowsett.
As they have done so many times this season, the Burras bowling attack was the key. They bowled St Anthonys out for 97.
Captain-coach Rhys Berry (above), the club’s leading wicket taker, took 5-35.
East Sunbury
It’s been a mix of youth and experience for East Sunbury in its first season in the B-grade competition.
Naturally with a side which has young players, it has had ups and downs, but there have been a lot more ups for the Thunder.
They started the season slowly with only one win in their opening five matches. Since then the Thunder has only lost two matches. Those came against Rupertswood and Diggers Rest Bulla.
Without doubt the highlight of the season was the club’s semi-final win over Rupertswood.
Most people didn’t give the Thunder a chance, but they pulled out their best all-round performance of the season to have a massive win.
Opener Liam Sherlock (above) thrived on the Thunder’s decision to bat first and made his first score of more than 55 for the season.
Sherlock went on with his innings and made 103 in the Thunder’s total of 9-256.
The Thunder’s bowlers and fielders then did their jobs to restrict Rupertswood to 145. Three bowlers took two wickets each, while three run-outs were vital.
Key players
Diggers Rest Bulla
While captain-coach Rhys Berry is the undoubted star with the ball for the Burras, the key for the Burras is making sure they have enough other players step up on the day.
All-rounder Lindon Dowsett is one of those players who it vital to the Burras’ chances.
Dowsett, who bats in the top five, has made double figures 10 times this season with the bat, including 65 in the semi-final.
With the ball he has taken 29 wickets this season, the third most for the Burras.
It is worth noting his ability to bowl under pressure. While in a different format, Dowsett took a hat-trick in the second last over of his side’s T20 district grand final win.
East Sunbury
Allrounder Jessy Carroll has stood up with both the ball and bat at different times of the season.
He started the season batting in the lower order, but has thrived after moving to the opening role for the last five games – scoring 22 or more in four of those games.
With the bowl he has taken multiple wickets in eight games which shows his consistency. He took seven wickets against Sunbury United in a two-day game.
Prediction
Both East Sunbury and Diggers Rest Bulla enter the grand final full of confidence and will like their chances in the game.
Having both lost grand finals last season, they will both be seeking redemption and go one better this season.
For East Sunbury, the concern is that they may have played their grand final a game too early. With young players, they need to ensure that they haven’t got ahead of themselves.
If Diggers Rest Bulla’s batsmen can continue their form of late, it could be the difference between the two sides.
GDCA coverage
McIntyre Cup grand final preview
Check out our GDCA coverage of the season
