KEILOR is returning to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association top-flight after its one-summer north division stay ended with an easier-than-expected seven-wicket win over arch rivals Doutta Stars in the grand final at Overland Reserve.
Minor premiers, the Blues set the benchmarks all summer and sealed the deal in the finals with a hard-fought semi-final win over Westmeadows followed by the crushing of the Stars.
Blues coach Nigel Freebairn told the Weekly it was sweet payback for his club, which lost to the Stars in the senior division decider in 2007-08.
“It was good for local cricket to see two former powerhouses climb back,” he said. “We’ve paid them back now. We think it was fitting considering our dominance all season.”
Dan Schuppan’s fingerprints were all over this victory. The Blues speedster caused a great deal of stress to the Stars with 4-59 off 24.4 overs.
Schuppan’s first session on day three turned the tide in the favour of his side.
The performance of left-arm quick Chris Lee was no less important in restricting the Stars to 195 in 92.4 overs.
Lee claimed 3-44 off 28 overs, including the prized scalp of Aaron Mato for 62.
Shafraz Mohamad also had tidy figures of 2-36 off 13, taking two of the top-three in the order.
“We were quietly confidence we could make that score,” Freebairn said. “That was subject to us getting a good start to our innings.”
The good start came for the Blues.
Liam Ryan (35) and Syed Ali Hussain (41) brought up the half-century before Ryan’s dismissal. Shaun Guerra came and went for six, departing on 2-74.
Hussain was next to go, but not until he had put the Blues in the box seat late on day three.
Captain Danny Law (59 not out) and the experienced Matt Willmott (47 not out) survived to stumps to have the Blues 3-133, needing 63 to win with a full day’s play to come. Despite the Blues being odds-on favourite to make the remaining runs, the pressure got to Law.
“He’s been outstanding throughout the year,” Freebairn said. “He’s the second-most prolific runs aggregate scorer for the club in 20 years.
“The only other player with more runs in a season was Scott Porter with about 950. It was an uncharacteristic knock – dropped three times when he hasn’t been dropped all season.”
It was revealed after the celebrations that Law had spent the previous night highly restless.
He could not sleep and got up at 4am and again at 6am to have baths.
“He’s played first-class finals at Lords and it indicated to us that he didn’t place himself above the level or the situation,” Freebairn said.
Law and Willmott survived to reach the target, wrapping it up in little time on the fourth day.
