AFTER two hard-fought days of quality cricket, North Sportsman’s has emerged as the Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association 2018-19 Barber Shield premiers.
The Tigers were on the hunt to deny Penola back-to-back titles and the game hung in the balance until the final wicket fell on Sunday.
North won the toss and as expected chose to bat first, posting a credible 149 runs on Saturday despite a slow outfield, to be all out in the 74th over.
The Eagles then took to the crease and batted an awkward three overs to see out the day, losing the wicket of Jack Mullan in the process.
Runs were hard to come by when Penola returned to the crease on Sunday, but a slow and steady approach saw it in contention for most of the day.
However, whenever the Eagles settled and appeared to be in for a chance at victory, North claimed a timely wicket to disrupt the flow.
When the final wicket fell, Penola had amassed just 123 runs to fall short of its target by 26.
A five-wicket haul from North’s Nick McInerney was pivotal in the win, while Michael Johnston – in his record 10th Barber Shield premiership – showed impressive figures of 2/16 from 19 overs, which included nine maidens.
On Saturday the Tigers were off to a slow start with the bat, as openers Jake Schutz and Johnston posted just 11 runs before the latter was judged lbw on four.
Kayne Badman was next up and despite facing 52 balls, was sent back to the shed for five runs, with the total at 23.
However, when captain Matt McInerney joined Schutz at the crease the runs started to flow.
He avoided the limitations of the outfield with some daring hits, to finish with six fours and 38 runs.
“We got off to a slow start, but the plan was to have wickets in hand to be able to score heavily after tea,” McInerney said.
“I sort of tried to lift the run rate a little bit after tea and unfortunately I got out.”
But his contribution was invaluable and when he was caught by Brett Vaughan off Mullan, the total was at a respectable 3/86.
That was Mullan’s first of six wickets on the day, in a performance which saw him presented with the man-of-the-match honours.
Kieran Ashby was next to join Schutz, who remained steady at the crease.
A further 15 runs were added before Ashby was caught off another Mullan delivery for seven, while Justin McConnell also had a short stint at the crease.
He faced 17 balls to score four runs, before he was clean bowled by Mullan with the total at 114.
Mitchell Lewis was not so fortunate and the second ball he faced saw a hot-potato style catch behind the stumps from Penola wicket keeper Mark Smith.
That saw the total at 6/114 and the Tigers began to feel the pressure.
However, Nick McInerney steadied the ship and added 18 runs to the Tigers’ cause before his controversial dismissal.
Before that, Schutz’s prized wicket finally fell, when he was run out by Michael Waters for a game-high 59 runs.
Next up was Declan Kenny, who joined Nick McInerney until an appeal from Penola saw the latter given out through a field obstruction.
The uncommon dismissal threw a spanner in the works for North, but McInerney more than made up for the circumstances on Sunday with ball in hand.
From there the bottom order was unable to maintain the run rate.
Tom Edwards came and went without a score, caught off yet another Mullan delivery, while Kenny awarded Mullan his sixth wicket, when he was clean bowled to finish the innings.
Tim Young was left at stumps with an unbeaten one run, to see the total at 149 after 74 overs.
The target was achievable for Penola, but when Mullan was caught off Nick McInerney for a duck on Saturday, the Eagles went into day two already a wicket down.
Fellow opener Jack Schulz and captain Jase Bateman saw out the awkward three overs on Saturday and then returned to the crease on Sunday to manage a combined 35 runs, before the former was clean bowled by Nick McInerney for 16.
Joined by incoming David Somerfield, Bateman reached an individual score of 22 before he was caught behind by Tom Edwards off an Ashby delivery, with the total at 3/63.
From there Somerfield did the heavy lifting, with no other Penola batsman able to reach double figures.
The total was at 75 when Lewis March was run out by Schultz for four, while Mark Smith was caught behind for a golden duck to leave plenty of work for the Eagles.
George Kidman came in and helped settle, but tight bowling and fielding from North saw just 11 runs added during his time at the crease.
He was bowled by Young for five, while Waters padded up for an hour-long stint, which awarded him with just seven runs.
Waters and Somerfield looked in good shape and slowly chipped away at the score.
They may well have reached it, had Somerfield not been caught and bowled in an impressive play by Nick McInerney, for his third wicket of the match.
Somerfield contributed a solid 58 runs to the total, with eight fours and a six.
But from there the bottom order faltered and when Waters was caught off a Johnston delivery the total of 123 was to be the final score.
The final two wickets fell in quick succession, with Vaughan caught for a duck off Nick McInerney, who struck again off the next delivery to send Conrad Slabber back to the bench for a golden duck and dismiss Penola in the 66th over.
The Tigers’ roar echoed across the venue and players flocked to the Tigers’ fast bowler, who dealt the final blow to claim the season honours.
