By Jonty Ralphsmith
Officer will be seeking promotion for the second time in three seasons this weekend after winning its way through to the Casey Cardinia Cricket Association District Grand Final with a semi-final victory over Pakenham Upper Toomuc.
Officer put a competitive 199 on the board before skipper and left arm opening bowler Cooper Pursell and his partner Noah Parraga each took three wickets at a miserly economy rate.
The Bullants fell from sixth to last in the last round of the 2022-23 CCCA Premier season when struggling sides Clyde and Merinda Park both upset the top two teams on the ladder to get relegated.
Pursell believes last season proved his team could match it if they reached Premier once again.
“I think a lot of the boys who played last year are a bit disappointed that we went up and came straight back down,” Pursell said.
“We were definitely good enough, I reckon every game we played we were in the game – we just lacked a bit of depth which probably killed us.
“Around the club it’s a good feeling being in a grand final.”
Officer has four teenagers in its side, while first-year skipper Pursell is 20, with that youth replacing key contributors Aidan Pipicelli, Nick McLennan and Kane Hawkins.
“We’re a pretty young side so to finish on top and reach a grand final was obviously the goal,” Pursell said.
“I knew we could do it but with our young fellas it was always going to be a challenge but we’ve all done well as a team so hopefully this week we can get the job done.”
The Bullants’ bowlers have propelled it to the Grand Final, with Pursell and Devon Gabriel-Brown the two leading wicket-takers in the competition, with 32 and 29 respectively.
Jonty Bennie has supported that pair well, with 19 wickets at 12.
With the stick, Jaswinder Gill has set the tone with 545 runs at 42, and crucially has found form at the right time: he has three scores of at least 49 in his last four hits.
On the weekend, he navigated a tricky period in the match to score 64 off 120, his best cricket coming after Sam McDavitt (68 off 149) arrived at the crease with the core at 4/47.
“He’s been batting really well,” Pursell said of Gill.
“He sets the tone for up at the front and hopefully this week can be the one he breaks through for a ton because he wants to get one for us.
“Jas is a really aggressive take-the-game-on type of batter but for him to knuckle down goes to show he can put the team first.
“It was a really crucial knock because we were in deep strife if he didn’t do that.
“When Sammy walked in at 4/47, Jas was struggling to find timing whereas Sammy walked in and played his shots like he usually does which took the pressure off Jas.
“Pakky Upper were up and about but they took the momentum our way and changed the game.”
Officer will take confidence into the weekend’s grand final, having beaten Upper Beaconsfield in the two home-and-away clashes between the pair including a round 12 two-day clash by 199 runs when it made 9/281.
