By David Nagel
A dominant 2023/24 CCCA Premier Division campaign only required rubber-stamping and Tooradin (2/222) has firmly put the imperial seal on a premiership-winning season with an eight-wicket victory over Pakenham (221).
Tooradin champion Cal O’Hare (101 not out) is being celebrated as the hero for the Gulls, in a Lex Duff Medal-winning performance that sealed the club’s third premiership in 11 seasons; two in the last three years.
The star opening bat hit a six off the last ball of the 68th over on Sunday – in front of an adoring home crowd – to bring up his century and tie the scores, before skipper Mick Sweeney (59 not out) sealed his first-ever premiership with a single to mid-on with the first ball of the 69th.
It was the perfect finish to a near perfect season for the Gulls, who finished with 14 wins, one loss and a draw.
The Seagulls’ successful chase came after Pakenham skipper Dale Tormey (117) played a magnificent day-one innings to pilot his Lions to a competitive score.
Tormey strode to the crease for the fourth ball of the match after Seagulls’ wrecking-ball Brad Butler (5/70) removed Lions’ opener Jack Anning for a third-ball duck.
The combination of Butler and slips-fielder O’Hare then struck again, removing the dangerous Chris Smith (14) in the 15th over to leave the Lions in trouble at 2/43.
Tormey and Rob Elston (20) then settled in for the fight as slow bowlers Josh Lownds (29.4-11-56-2) and Peter Sweeney (22-8-62-1) bowled beautifully to a very well-set field.
Lownds and Sweeney bowled 40 overs in tandem: taking a wicket each along the way, conceding just 89 runs in a mid-innings bowling partnership.
They conceded just seven runs between overs 30 and 40; and a further 10 runs from overs 40 to 50.
At one stage the Lions faced 26 overs for a modest return of 1/23, during which Elston played across the line and was cleaned bowled by Sweeney.
The battle between Tormey and Sweeney was absorbing, with the left-handers showcasing impeccable skill with both bat and ball in hand.
Tormey hit eight fours and four sixes in his highest score for the season, made from 226 balls.
“We didn’t want to throw our wickets away because if they’re bowling well to blokes that are set, it’s going to be even more difficult for blokes coming in if we go out,” Tormey said post-match.
“That would create even more pressure, so we just had to absorb some very good bowling from two very good bowlers.
“The mindset was to get through, to take our opportunities when they came but importantly keep our wickets.”
Captain Mick Sweeney kept a fielder forward of square-leg, but had no protection behind square as he tried to entice the well-set Tormey into error.
“Dale wanted to hit Pete down the ground, he showed that intent, so we wanted to get him thinking about hitting square,” Sweeney explained.
“The only way to do that was to risk not having fielders behind square.
“It nearly worked, we went up for the LBW appeal, but he could have easily have hit Pete out of the attack and it goes the other way.
“I think all three of us really enjoyed that battle.”
The Lions were still well held from overs to 50 to 60, taking just 2/23 from that block of 10, before things ramped up from there.
Tormey brought up his century with a late cut off Lownds, in the 64th over, as the Lions piled on 2/52 in the second-last block of 10.
Butler was brought back on after Tormey hit two sixes in three balls off Sweeney, and soon removed Stuart Johnson (2) and Tormey – both caught behind – before clean-bowling Sean Gramc (4) with just five overs left in the innings.
Jason Williams (36) once again played an important knock for the Lions; backing up his half-century against Kooweerup last week with another impressive display; guiding the lower order to safety against the quality bowling of Butler and Lownds.
Lownds took the ball from Russell Lehman (10-1-26-0) for the 22nd over of the match and bowled unchanged in a marathon spell that included only a handful of loose deliveries.
The Seagulls gave nothing away in the field, with O’Hare superb with three catches, Ben Parrott two behind the stumps, while two runouts in the last over of the innings proved the hosts were fully switched on for the full 80 overs of the innings.
Perfect weather greeted players and supporters on Sunday; with the temperature a comfortable 21 degrees as the last day of the season began.
It was a day that would be all Tooradin.
The Seagulls lost opener Josh Lownds (12) with the score on 23, before O’Hare and Peter Sweeney (40) put on an even 100-run stand for the second wicket.
The top-order was patient, with 14 runs coming from the first block of 10; and 23 from the second, before 28 runs from the third block of 10 had the Gulls in prime position at 1/65 off 30.
The pair moved steadily to 1/91 off 40, with the 100 coming up in the 45th as the left-handed Sweeney worked through mid-wicket for one.
O’Hare then brought up his half-century with one of the shots of the match; a gloriously executed drive that found the middle of the bat and raced to the cover boundary for four.
With 30 overs remaining in the season, Tooradin required an even 100 runs; Pakenham nine wickets.
A glimmer of hope came for Pakenham in the very next over, when Pete Sweeney guided a Williams delivery to the safe hands of Tormey in the gully.
Mick Sweeney then strode to the crease with intent, pulling his second ball from off-spinner Williams to the fence; signalling clear and ever-present confidence.
The remaining 96 runs came from just 18 overs, with Sweeney hitting four boundaries and a six in his run-a-ball half-century.
O’Hare tied the scores with the most memorable shot of his long and decorated career, before Sweeney raised his arms in triumph after racing through for a single from the next ball.
The best team all season had won; O’Hare claimed the Lex Duff Medal; joining teammates Tom Hussey and Dylan Sutton as three-time premiership heroes.
And Mick Sweeney hit the winning run to claim the first premiership of a brilliant individual career.
As far as storylines go…it doesn’t get any better than that!
