Berwick Springs Sports Club’s under-13, division-four Dandenong District Cricket Association premiership-winning side, back, from left, Nathan, Jake, Johan, Hayden, Nemim, Ryan, Julian, Bryce, Declan, and front, Scott, Matthew, Stewart and Matthew.By Marc McGowan
NO NETS, no pavilion … no hope?
There would only have been modest expectations for Berwick Springs Sports Club in its debut season in the Dandenong District Cricket Association.
But fast forward to last month and the club’s under-13, division-four side was celebrating premiership success in one of the most unlikely sporting triumphs for some time.
Only one player – captain Scott Brown – had played cricket previously and Berwick Springs saluted just once in the first four rounds of competition.
Suddenly things kicked into gear, as a round-five success began a six-match winning streak that vaulted the club to title favouritism.
There was a slip-up against North Dandenong Maroon in the final home-and-away round, but the plucky Berwick Springs line-up was unperturbed.
The team easily accounted for Narre North in its semi-final clash before exacting revenge against North Dandenong Maroon in the grand final.
Opener Brown (59 not-out) and number-three bladesman Johan van Zanen (59) were the stars with the bat, while Ryan Wallace (2/19) and Julian Zahra (2/19) were impressive with the ball.
Medium-pacer Matthew Ferguson, despite going wicketless in the decider, was brilliant all season, snaring a team-leading 15 wickets at the measly average of 7.3.
Berwick Springs coach Peter Ferguson, a former Turf Two player with HSD Cricket Club, was ecstatic at his squad’s amazing achievement.
“From where they came from it was quite a surprise, believe you me,” he said.
“The boys really gelled as a group and have become really good mates and just played as a team.”
Without proper facilities, the players were only able to go through basic drills in the middle of their Berwick Springs Park ground.
But with the club’s pavilion expected to be completed by the end of May and practice nets on the way, Berwick Springs’ future is looking increasingly rosy.
“With us winning the premiership in our first year, word of mouth and the fact a new estate is going up opposite the ground, we should have more interest next season,” Ferguson said.
“Once our clubrooms and nets go up, people will see it more as a cricket ground and will want to join up.”
On top of the premiership-winning under-13 side, Berwick Springs’ only other representative was its under-11, division-four team.
Ferguson hopes there will be an additional four or five squads at the club next season.
“The boys came together the week before the season started and were a bit disjointed, but after round four everything clicked and they didn’t look back,” he said.
“Hopefully we can put them up to the next level and test them out, but we’ll see how we go splitting them up.
“We don’t know how other players are going to go, but you can only work with what you’ve got and the main thing is that the kids are enjoying themselves.”
