John Dalton stars as Kensington ends eight-year trophy drought

Redback John Dalton put a torrid season behind him to lead Kensington to its first SACA One Day Cup triumph in nine years on Sunday.

Rob Zadow Medallist John Dalton, who starred in Kensington’s grand final triumph with an unbeaten 104. Picture: RUSSELL MILLARD (AAP).

Redback John Dalton put a torrid season behind him to lead Kensington to its first SACA One Day Cup triumph in nine years on Sunday.

The 22-year-old top-order batsman, who has not played a first-class match this season and had made only 144 runs in his previous 10 innings for the Browns in two-day and limited-overs cricket, struck a superb, unbeaten 104 from 83 deliveries as Kensington thumped Sturt by 101 runs at Karen Rolton Oval to end an eight-year trophy drought.

Batting at No. 3, player of the match Dalton shared in a match-defining, unbroken 142-run fifth-wicket partnership with Englishman Robbie White, with the Bowns’ wicketkeeper cutting loose late with 75 from 55 balls.

ADSACA One-Day Cup final winners Kensington after beating Sturt at Karen Rolton Oval. Picture: AAP Image/Russell Millard

In the blink of an eye, the pair took the score from 4/186 to 4/328 after captain Jake Brown (48) and the hard-hitting Paul Allegretto (66) got Kensington off to a flyer with a 117-run opening stand after Sturt captain Brad Davis won the toss and elected to bowl.

The massive score was always going to be tough for the Blues to reel in and their task was made almost impossible when openers Jacob Dick (4) and Connor Dudley (5) — both dismissed by Redbacks quick Elliot Opie — were back in the pavilion with just 11 runs on the board Davis (67) combined with Thomas Kelly (44) and Ty Watson (46) to keep the Blues in the contest but the run rate proved too much and they were bowled out in the 42nd over.

Opie (4/39) and fellow Redback, leg-spinner Lloyd Pope (4/55), who was in the Sydney Sixers squad that lost a BBL semi-final on Friday night, were the chief destroyers for the Browns.

The triumph was perennial powerhouse Kensington’s fifth One Day Cup, following successes in 1992-93, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2009-10, and first A-grade silverware since winning the two-day title in 2010-11.

“We’ve had a lot of tight losses in finals in recent years so to break an eight-year drought is amazing,’’ Brown said.

“Dalts (Dalton) was outstanding, playing straight, hitting the ball cleanly and playing very smart.

“He's battled a bit recently but the cream rises to the top and he showed his class when it mattered most.’’

Sturt coach Ben Cameron said his side never really got into the contest.

“We had strategies in place but they didn’t quite work and all the small things went Kensington's way,’’ he said.