The premiership drought is over for Sunshine.
The 1983-84 champions will get to hand over the tag of the Crows last first XI premiership-winning team to a new batch of heroes.
The new murder of Crows secured a long-awaited flag with a grand final win over Moonee Valley on first innings at Kinder Smith Reserve at the weekend.
Crows captain Troy Stone has seen the ups and downs in his time at the club, but this will go down as one of its finest moments.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said.
“The club hasn’t won a first XI premiership since 1983-84.
“We were on our knees a couple of years ago and didn’t know where to go and what to do, but we made a good decision to leave [sub-district cricket] and come back to the VTCA, so it’s onwards and upwards now.
“We’ll go up a division next season and prove our worth up there.”
Sunshine looked a bit shaky early in the grand final. The Crows had a stop-start innings to finish with 178 off 64 overs.
Opener Sam Magnano (25) and top order batsmen Stone (19) and Asela Dasanayaka Aluthge (31) fought hard, but it was bowling allrounder Cherith Fernando who gave the Crows a chance with 44 not out.
Twice in Moonee Valley’s innings, it appeared as though it was beginning to get on top.
The Valleys made a positive start, advancing to 28 before the loss of the first wicket and were still in a strong position at 4-96.
That was before medium pacer Altamash Zaheer unleashed havoc with 6-15 off 18 overs, including nine maidens.
Zaheer left a trail of destruction through the Valley’s batting line-up to be the key reason why they could only muster 124 in 67.1 overs.
“He stepped up in the key moment and pretty much bowled us to a flag,” Stone said.
“He made the ball talk.”
Fernando was also important with 3-25 off 17.1.
Sunshine comfortably batted out the final day, finishing on 5-177 and dashing any hope Moonee Valley had of an outright.
Magnano was unbreakable, batting the full 75 overs to finish with 42 not out.
Dasanayaka Aluthge rounded out a strong summer with 69 in the second dig to finish on 758 runs at 58.3.
In the north west B1 grand final, Deer Park survived a scare on the final day to be crowned premiers with a 15-run win over Williamstown CYMS at Ainsworth Reserve.
The CYs needed 168 for an outright victory, but fell short to be all out for 153.
The stars with the ball for Deer Park in the second innings were Nilanka Vedagedara (5-73) and Ricky Suvada (5-48).
Tim Collins’ knock of 87 back on day one was the key to the Lions victory.
In the west A1 grand final, Grand United went down outright in a thriller to Seabrook at Crofts Reserve. United needed 142, but were agonisingly bowled out for 130 in their second innings.
