West Torrens goes from bottom to top and caps historic, rollercoaster season with a third premiership
WEST Torrens coach Mark Harrity uses the words fairytale, whirlwind and bizarre to describe his side’s rise from two-day wooden spooner to a hat-trick of Grade cricket titles in his first season at the helm.
WEST Torrens coach Mark Harrity uses the words fairytale, whirlwind and bizarre to describe his side’s rise from two-day wooden spooner to a hat-trick of Grade cricket titles in his first season at the helm.
The Eagles’ 2016/17 campaign ended with a 158-run victory over Kensington at Woodville Oval in the two-day premiership decider at the weekend.
It capped a rollercoaster season dogged by a SA Cricket Association push for a merger with Port Adelaide that was quashed in February before becoming the first club to win all three grand finals in one summer.
Wicketkeeper Leigh Drennan (104) starred with the bat on Saturday as West Torrens made 334 then veteran Trent Kelly (4/45) led the way in dismissing the Browns for 176 on Sunday.
But Harrity said everyone played their role, as had been the case all season.
“So much has happened in the last few months, it’s a bit of a whirlwind for everyone,” said Harrity, a former West Torrens and Redbacks paceman.
“To win all three and come from last in the two-dayers, it’s just bizarre.
“It’s good now to sit back, reflect and enjoy it all.”
Kensington won the toss and sent the Eagles in but was made to pay for dropping several catches.
Sixteen-year-old Bailey Capel (55) batted with experience beyond his age and skipper Kelvin Smith (45 off 130 balls) chewed into the time Kensington would have to chase down the total.
The Eagles reached 8/325 at stumps on day one and was dismissed early the next day.
A draw would have been enough for minor premier West Torrens to claim the title but it was on track for victory from the outset after Braedon Renshaw’s two early scalps had the Browns 2/16.
Kelly snared the crucial wicket of Kensington skipper Jake Brown (14) and the other batsmen never got going, leaving Alex Ross unbeaten on 97.
Fittingly, Bradman Medallist Daniel Drew wrapped up the match with the wicket of Lloyd Pope.
“The boys all jumped on each other, we were lucky to have 150 supporters there and our Ds, who had unfortunately lost their final earlier in the day, came down to celebrate,” Harrity said.
“It was a great reward for people that have been through a lot and fought really hard to help keep our club alive.”
THE REACTION
IF THE South Australian Cricket Association had its way, West Torrens District Cricket Club’s 160-year history would have ended 12 months ago.
Instead the Eagles have produced arguably the greatest season in Grade Cricket history after fighting tooth and nail to challenge SACA’s plan to merge them with Port Adelaide.
When West Torrens overcame Kensington to claim the two-day title on Sunday, more than a year of uncertainty and adversity was left behind in the most thrilling fashion imaginable.
The win sealed a history-making treble of A-grade premierships in a single season – the first team to do so a year after finishing bottom of the table.
In just over a month, West Torrens went from staring down the barrel of a forced merger to a backflip from SACA, then wins in the Twenty20, one-day and two-day finals.
The club’s bright future can be summed up by players such as first-year opening batsman Bailey Capel, who scored a quick-fire half century to set up his side.
Capel, 16, described the trifecta of wins as “ridiculous” and said the threat of a merger gave the players extra motivation from the beginning.
“We all just came out firing and wanted to win it very badly,” Capel said.
“Everyone went out to play cricket like normal but we always had that extra bit of determination to do well, especially coming from the position we were in last year, finishing last and possibly getting kicked out of the league.”
Capel praised his teammates as talented cricketers and even better blokes, including wicketkeeper Leigh Drennan, who starred in the two-day final with a top score of 104.
Drennan said the enormity of what they had achieved only sank in towards the end of Kensington’s innings.
“I’m a little bit of a pessimist and always expect the worst, so when (Redbacks batsman) Alex Ross was still batting I was pretty nervous,” Drennan said.
“It wasn’t until when (Eagles bowler) Ben Williams took two wickets in one over to take their number seven and then their number eight batsmen two balls later that it hit me.
“It started to sink in around that moment.”
Williams took three wickets and chipped in with 22 runs.
“The first over is always nerve-racking but once you get through that you’ve got to treat it like any other game,” Williams said.
“We got off to a pretty good start.
“That relieved a bit of the pressure.”
SACA told the club in December 2015 it must merge with Port Adelaide in order to reduce the number of Grade clubs, threatening to axe one of them if they did not amalgamate.
Fierce opposition to a merger from both clubs, along with a Parliamentary Select Committee formed to look into the matter, led to SACA backflipping and announcing in February that the Eagles and Magpies would remain as single entities.
THE MEDALLIST
DANIEL Drew is yet to decide what he will do with the four Grade Cricket medals he has won during the past two months.
In fact, the West Torrens all-rounder is still struggling to come to terms with winning three premierships, including the two-day grand final against Kensington on Sunday, and the Bradman Medal last week.
“It hasn’t really sunk in to be honest,” Drew, 20, says.
“The medals are all locked away at home with my Bradman and I’ll sort something out with them.
“There were unbelievable scenes on the weekend, boys getting around each other.
“There were a lot of emotions, crying with happiness about how unreal the year’s actually been.
“It was an amazing feeling.”
Drew, who made 545 runs at 41.92 and took 14 scalps at 21.07 this season, last Wednesday became the first Eagles player in 29 years to claim the competition’s highest individual honour.
After trying not to focus on the feat in the lead-up the two-day grand final, the former St Michael’s student scored a modest 16 in the Eagles’ 334.
But he iced the game by taking the final wicket to bowl the Browns out for 176 and seal the club’s first two-day premiership in 10 years.
“I just wanted to win an A-grade premiership with my mates and do it for West Torrens.
“Now having won and thinking about it all, it (Bradman Medal) is definitely a big part of everything.
“The time will come to reflect on that and I’ll celebrate it with my close friends and family.”
Drew hopes this season, which has also included 353 runs and eight wickets in five second-tier Futures League games for SA, can be a springboard to playing for the Redbacks.
From a team perspective, he is keen for the Eagles to build on their success next summer.
“Let’s just start from round one and keep the winning going.”
THE VETERAN
TRENT Kelly’s playing journey at West Torrens appeared over until new coach Mark Harrity convinced him to end a season-long hiatus and help the Eagles win an unlikely two-day flag.
Last summer Kelly, 33, lined up in just one match for cellar-dweller West Torrens because of work commitments as a curator and two games for Turf club Grange.
But not long after taking on the Eagles’ coaching job in April, Harrity called on the paceman to provide experience for a young squad that aimed to go from wooden-spooner to flag contender.
Kelly repaid his former teammate’s faith, making a game-breaking 32 not out in last week’s semi-final and taking 4/45 in Sunday’s grand final victory over Kensington at Woodville Oval, to help the club win all three competitions in one season.
“It’s a bit surreal,” Kelly says.
“Hags and I put a goal up and aimed for the stars.
“We said ‘why don’t we win a premiership?’
“I’ve coached five or six of the guys through state under-19 programs and I certainly knew how talented the group was – all the group needed was some strong direction and Hags provided that.
“For the club to win all three competitions, it’s something you dream about.”
Originally a Glenelg junior, Kelly has been playing A grade at the Eagles for 17 years.
He also played in their previous two-day premiership – in 2006/07 – before forging an eight-game first-class career with SA and WA.
His finals performances for the Eagles a decade apart almost mirrored each other – hitting the winning runs in the semi-final then a crucial bowling effort in the decider.
He says late club legend David Hookes’ hard-nosed on-field attributes has spurred him on during his career.
“I’ve tried to bring his never-say-die attitude into my cricket.
“That’s what everyone strives to do – perform in big games and in finals.
“Experience and a lot of hard work is often a key asset in big games.”
Kelly says Harrity has been crucial to not only the club’s rise but his ability to balance cricket, work and life by allowing him to skip trainings or games when he is under the pump.
“That’s huge for someone of my age and with what I do to help me keep a clear mind to be able to perform on a weekend.”
Kelly is a “better than 50-50” chance to play on next season and says he is forever indebted to the Eagles.
“(West Torrens) gave me an opportunity to play cricket at a high level and they’re the first people I need to acknowledge and thank
“I owe a lot to the game of cricket – it’s set my life up.
“It’s a game that’s given me a lot of joy and a job.”
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