NORTH HUON WARRIORS
UNDER 15 GRAND FINAL
In a spectacular end to the 2020/21 Hurricanes Junior League Huon Channel Region Under 15 season, the North Huon Warriors faced off against Slab Road at Ranelagh Oval, in front of a big crowd.
Roadies captain Lewis Direen won the toss and elected, wisely, to bat first with the evenings drawing in, the team batting second was bound to be struggling with light by the end of the match.
Direen and Travis Walter opened the batting, facing up against Warriors captain Anthony Harrison, playing with a slight hamstring strain, and Lucas Sullivan.
It didn’t take long for Direen to get underway, hitting his first boundary in the second over, and his innings was impressive, the Warriors ruing a couple of missed chances, seeing Direen carrying his bat for an unbeaten 69 off 63 balls, including seven boundaries.
A direct hit from Ollie Coulson saw Walter run out without troubling the scorers, heading back to the sheds in just the third over.
From there, the Warriors found it difficult to make any inroads, and the partnership of CJ Clifford and Direen was a good one for the Roadies, the pair putting on 71 runs over 13 overs, before Coulson forced the error from Clifford, Harrison providing the safe hands.
In the final four overs, Jack Walter (13) teamed up with Direen, and another good partnership saw the Roadies finish their allocated 20 on 2/127.
In reply, Broughton Chapman (4) and Ollie Thomson opened the batting, Ty Fahey taking the catch to dismiss Chapman off Clifford, the Warriors 1/12 after three overs.
Harrison (26 off 33, including four boundaries) and Thomson then teamed up for nine overs, running well between the wickets, to get the score along to 73, before Harrison was dismissed, run out by keeper Walter, Fahey again contributing well in the field to get the ball in quickly.
Thomson (37 off 48, including three boundaries) and Ryan Jager got the Warriors into triple figures, Thomson another victim of the Fahey/Walter combination run out.
The game was now in the balance, the Warriors at 3/101 after 16 overs, requiring 27 runs for victory off 24 balls.
It was time for Harrison to bring on the big hitters, and the instruction was clear, runs are more valuable than wickets.
Coulson joined Jager (13 off 19, including one boundary) at the crease, Jager also run out striving for the extra runs, chancing Tommy Clark’s arm and losing, Clark’s aim true.
Harry Thomson (7 not out, off 4), renowned at the Warriors for his fearless big hitting, was next up, finding the boundary on just the second ball he faced.
Coulson (4 off 7) departed after misjudging a Direen delivery, Fahey taking the catch.
Nails were now being bitten down, the score at 5/118, 10 runs required off the last over, the failing light as much an enemy of the Warriors as the Roadies fielders.
Phil Hale made a cameo, run out on the first ball of the last over, 10 runs required off five balls.
It was man-of-the-match Lochie Cordwell, fresh out of the dentist’s chair, who made his way out to the centre, with the cheers of the Warriors supporters following him and the premiership hopes on his shoulders.
Cordwell and Thomson were hitting big and running hard, a two from Cordwell was followed by a couple of heartbreaking run-shorts called on the next two balls, turning threes into twos, in a bit of luck for the Warriors’, one of them was a no-ball.
The Warriors 6/125, three runs required off the final three balls.
A dot to Cordwell.
Three runs required off two balls.
Cordwell is on strike, the field has been brought in, the light is fading by the second, Amelia Clifford comes in, the crack on willow was a beautiful sound, Cordwell has found the gap with a beautiful shot to cow corner, four runs and victory to the Warriors!
The crowd went wild and the premiership went to the young Warriors for the fourth season running.
The North Huon Warriors Cricket Club committee extends a huge congratulations to the young Warriors, many of whom will have the opportunity to make it five in a row next season.
The Club also thanks Julian Direen and the Slab Road Roadies for a cracking game of cricket played in great spirit.