Kingsville Baptists have swooped on the west B1 turf cricket premiership.
Some would not have had the Baptists in the finals picture at Christmas, let alone going on to win the unlikeliest of flags.
The Baptists didn’t register a win until round four and won only four times in their first 10 games. Even after the mid-season break, their form was solid, not spectacular.
There were always three dominant teams and a group of battlers scrapping for fourth.
What is not disputed is that Kingsville Baptists fired up their A game at the right end of the season.
They caused a massive boilover to bring down minor premier West Newport in a thrilling semi-final.
They backed that up to beat the much-fancied Deer Park by two wickets in a tense four-day grand final at Hogans Road Reserve.
The Baptists started the grand final off on the right note, bowling the Parkers out for 130 in an 85-over slow burn.
Baptists skipper Daniel Shanahan sparked the collapse with 4-25 off 19 overs, while the other bowlers kept it extremely tight – in particular Sujith Nikethana, who was at his efficient best with 2-20 off 22 overs.
Kingsville undid its hard work in the field by producing just 125 in its first innings.
The Baptists were kept alive by Nikethana (28) and John Hillis (38).
With Deer Park leading by five runs on first innings, it was anyone’s guess as to who would go on to fly the premiership flag. The Parkers’ stop-start second innings ended on 189 after 87.4 overs – a healthy lead of 194.
Each time they looked likely to slip off the leash, George Semerzidis (4-48) and Rahmatullah Khwaja (4-25) would deliver timely wickets for the Baptists.
Kingsville’s run chase looked shaky at times. The
innings’ mainstay was Dilshan Kankanamage, who made 52 in an otherwise nervous top order.
At 8-140, the Baptists were still looking down the barrel, but Shanahan (30no) combined with Hillis (51no) to put on an unbroken 55 and complete a fairytale win for the underdogs.
Lance Jenkinson
