The Gisborne and District Cricket Association is the Bendigo Country Week division 1 champions.
With wet weather washing out the final, without a ball being bowled, the GDCA was named champions due to greater points and percentage than their opponent Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association.
The GDCA had won all four of its matches during the week to qualify for the final.
Team manager Peter Cullen said while they would have liked to play the final, they were happy with the overall win.
“The umpires said about 1pm that the game was called off,” he said on Friday afternoon.
“We knew after day three that we would be in the grand final against Ferntree Gully and we then played them on day four.
“With the forecast of rain for today, the boys were told it was very important to get the win and make sure we were on top spot.
“We knew we had to play well.”
The win makes it two years in a row the GDCA has come away with silverware at country week.
They won the division 2 championship 12 months ago.
“It’s pretty rare to win division 2 and then division 1 the next year,” Cullen said. “It doesn’t happen often.
“It’s been about 30 years since we’ve won a division 1 title. This win is pretty good for the district.”
Most of this year’s team was part of the winning combination 12 months earlier.
“We tried to pick a good competitive side,” Cullen said. “All but one or two played last year.
“It was good to keep the same group. Everyone performed and stepped up at one stage or another.”
Macedon’s Taylor Stevenson, Romsey’s Chris Burkett, Riddell’s Haydn Ross, Woodend’s Adam Johnstone and Warren Else and Gisborne’s Eamon McKenna averaged 38 for the competition.
Sunbury’s Heath Boffey led the way with the ball taking 11 wickets. Burkett took 10 and Gisborne’s Tahir Afridi took nine wickets.
Burkett was awarded player the GDCA’s player of the week.
“He bowled and batted well and he is a great fielder. He had a couple of runs outs,” Cullen said.
Despite securing the championship today, the team is already looking forward to next year and trying and win three titles in a row.
