Western Districts take home A-grade premiership after rain ends clash early

The Toowoomba cricket season reached an anticlimactic conclusion on Sunday as rain swept across the Darling Downs. See the recap from the grand final weekend here.

Western Districts celebrate winning the 2024 Toowoomba cricket two-day premiership. Picture: Allyson Gardener.

The 2024 Toowoomba cricket two-day grand finals reached an anticlimactic conclusion on Sunday as rain descended on the Garden City.

With all four grand finals washed out, the highest-placed teams in each grand final took home the premierships.

In A-grade, Western Districts were crowned champions after they were minor premiers and although they were unable to have the chance to finish the job, captain Luke Neale was proud of his team.

“We would have liked to have finished the job on Sunday, it was unfortunate how things happened with the weather,” he said.

“I felt like we had the momentum going into the second day, although it did rain and we didn’t want to win like that.”

After an inspired performance from Met-Easts captain Ben Brocherie, taking 4-18 off 12.3 overs to help bowl Wests out for 122 runs, the Trojans held the ascendancy early in the decider.

Met-Easts captain Ben Brocherie (left) was named the player of the grand final in the 2024 A-grade two-day competition. Picture: Allyson Gardener.

However, Warriors came out all guns firing with the ball and flipped the clash on its head to have Met-Easts struggling at 6-36 at stumps.

Neale said the fact his side was in such a dominant position heading into the second day made the win feel better considering the circumstances which took place.

After a season where Wests were the most consistent team in the competition, the Warriors were starring down the barrel of potentially ending the season without any silverware after they lost in the semi-finals of the one-day season earlier in the summer.

This proved to be a major motivation boost for Wests and their consistency was eventually rewarded.

“It is something we have prided ourselves, on our consistency across the whole season,” Neale said.

“In the one-day comp, we were good in the round games and just had a bad day in the semi-finals.

“We could definitely see the boys were hungry and wanted to put it right.

“It would have been a pretty empty feeling (to not win anything) because we played consistent cricket for the whole year and to finish with the win was pretty pleasing.”

Neale credited the depth is his side as the younger players made massive strides throughout the season, while veteran Brian May continued to age like fine wine, scoring more than 600 runs for the season.

Western Districts cricket captain Luke Neale accepts the trophy after his side won the 2024 TCI two-day competition. Picture: Allyson Gardener.

“Brian was really consistent all season,” Neale said.

“He really makes the bowlers earn his wicket, he doesn’t give his wicket away and in two-day cricket, it is hard to find a guy who can anchor his innings like that.

“Aside from Brian, we are a really young team and they are really lucky to have someone like him to learn off.

“I think in the finals in the middle order we had a couple of guys who stepped in who hadn't had a chance

“Rylan Martin was great batting at six with important partnerships.

“Dan Robinson in the final, his 30-odd was worth a lot and with the ball Ryan Ward has really stood up to become our go-to guy.”

In reserve grade, Souths were 2-33 and chasing down Northern Brothers’ total of 131 before rain intervened with the Magpies winning the premiership after finishing on top of the ladder.

It was an intra-club battle for the B-grade premiership with Met-Easts Blue and Gold facing off in the grand final.

Blue was bowled out for an impressive 249 and Gold made it to 1-12 from six overs, before the game concluded with Met-Easts Blue taking home the trophy after finishing higher on the ladder.

In the C-grade post-Christmas one-day competition, the grand final was abandoned without a ball bowled and University was crowned champions.

Originally published as Western Districts take home A-grade premiership after rain ends clash early