CRICKET: 20 MARCH 2017

Dramatic tie in Oilsplus Grand Final between Country and Cudal

Saturday’s Oilsplus Molong Cricket Grand Final ended in a thrilling tie at the Molong Recreation Ground, with the last Cudal wicket falling on the very last ball of their allocated 40 overs and with the side all out for 164, exactly the score as mustered earlier by Country, who had finished with 8-164 off their 40 overs.

After a brief consultation with the two captains and umpires, Molong Cricket President David Hobbs and Secretary/Treasurer Greg Pringle decided to award a joint Premiership to the two sides, a decision that Molong Online thinks went down very well with players and spectators alike.

We’ll leave talking about individual score details to our main cricket scribe, Greg Pringle, to recount but those are available through our site on http://molong.com.au/sport/news/2017/03_17/
grand-final-scores/grand-final-scores.html.

The season’s presentations following the game were conducted by David Hobbs, who began by thanking sponsors —major sponsor (Michael Hayes of Oilsplus), and others as well (Molong Online, Molong Express, Freemasons Hotel, Telegraph Hotel, Molong BP and individual team sponsors.

He also thanked the umpires, Allan Hubbard and Kirt Drady, for their dedication to duty in such an exciting match — and probably most importantly from the competition’s overall viewpoint — Greg Pringle for putting in so many hours and so much diligence in making sure that the whole thing worked.

Individual awards went to:

— Hat-tricks: Jacob Evans (Magpies) with 3-8 v Telegraph; and Tim Kennedy (Cudal) with 3-9 against Telegraph.

— Best junior: Jordan Packham (Telegraph).

— Most catches by a non-wicket-keeper: Jim Gavin (Magpies) 12.

— Bowling award (most wickets): Jacob Evans (Magpies) 22.

— Bowling average (20 wickets to qualify): Jacob Evans (Magpies) 11.64.

— Batting award (most runs): Brett Wykes (Country) 380.

— Batting average (200 runs to qualify): Andrew Heath (Country) 71.60.

— Best & fairest (based on 3-2-1s awarded during the season and sponsored by Molong Online): Tim Kennedy (Cudal).

— Best all-rounder (bowling and batting averages): Tim Kennedy (Cudal).

— T20 Trophy: Telegraph (Ben Brown, captain).

— Grand Final man-of-the-match: shared by Trent Frazer (Country) and Tim Kennedy (Cudal).

— Oilsplus Premiers: shared by Country (Nigel Brazier, captain) and Cudal (Lee Cornish, captain).

Molong Online went along and took some photos of a most exciting day. Today we present some of those taken during Country’s innings and the awards presentation. Photos taken during Cudal’s innings will accompany Greg Pringle’s match wrap-up later.

David Hobbs, President of the Molong Cricket Association presents the shield for best all-rounder to cudals Tim Kennedy.

Molong District Cricket Association Honorary Secretary/Treasurer Greg Pringle presents the trophy for the T20 winners to Molong Telegraph's captain Ben Brown.