Kookaburra Cup Final 2021: Kevin Chapman powers Mudgeeraba to first title in over a decade
MUDGEERABA Nerang has been crowned champion of Gold Coast cricket, snapping a decade-long title drought with a six-wicket victory over Palm Beach Currumbin in the 2020-21 grand final.
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MUDGEERABA Nerang has been crowned champion of Gold Coast cricket, snapping a decade-long title drought with a six-wicket victory over Palm Beach Currumbin in the 2020-21 grand final.
The Bushmen bowled out the Kookaburra Cup’s topscoring batting line-up for 137 runs to seize a commanding position at stumps on day one.
A shaky start to day two saw Mudgeeraba lose opener Howard Biddle, skipper Mitch Daly and leading bat Josh Nelson for a combined 21 runs, opening the door to a comeback from the Lions.
Up stepped opener Kevin Chapman, whose unbeaten 62 helped deliver Mudgee to the Kookaburra Cup double after securing the T20 title earlier this season.
Chapman weathered the early storm as wickets fell around him to stabilise the innings.
By lunch Mudgee were 3-65 with Chapman 26 from 79 as the Bushmen crawled at 2.13 runs per over.
Within an hour the match was over, Chapman leading the acceleration to chase down the title at 3.8 per over in the final 20 overs over.
Captain Mitch Daly wasn’t sure his heart could take the drama as regular early wickets knocked strong contributors out of the contest.
“I was freaking out,” he said. “We’ve got great guys at the club and we knew how we wanted to play, win, lose or draw.
“We were able to execute that despite Palm Beach bowling really well to make it stressful. We had to work really hard for that.”
Man of the hour Chapman embraced stepping into the limelight despite playing more of a supporting role with the bat this season.
“For the majority of the season I’ve just had to bat for time,” he said.
“With Josh Nelson, Mitch, we’re a really strong batting side so I’m usually the second fiddle. We lost one wicket early and then kept losing wickets when we could have put a foot on the throat.
“We kind of got on top and then we let them back in.
“It’s a testament to Mudgee’s culture and what we try to do (to win the final).”
Palm Beach had too slim a margin to protect after losing key batsmen on day one.
There was no recovering from a miserable day with the bat to open the final, with Palm Beach batting leader Canning Mason sent back to the pavilion for 17 after chopping on a wide delivery into the base of his stumps.
Captain-coach Ryan Kettle prevented a full-blown collapse with a gutsy 49 to take PBC to lunch at 2-83 but he was squared up and caught at first slip from the bowling of Mackenzie Barclay in the first over of the second session.
From 2-85 the Lions found themselves 5-106 and then all-out for 137, bringing the first Kookaburra Cup title in 11 years within reach for Mudgeeraba Nerang.
Kettle said it was a well deserved premiership.
“We believe Mudgee were the best team over the last two seasons,” Kettle said.
“We did our best and fought pretty hard with a small total to defend.
“Unfortunately we were beaten by a better team.”
Mudgeeraba’s win was the cherry on top of a club championship and first grade T20 title.
‘WE CAN DO THIS’: PBC SKIPPER’S PLAN TO STUN MUDGEERABA
MUDGEERABA have bowled out the Kookaburra Cup’s top-scoring battinge lineup for 137 runs to seize a commanding position at stumps on Day One of the 2020/21 grand final.
The tone was set early when Palm Beach’s batting leader Canning Mason chopped on attempting to drive a wide delivery through the covers.
A cruel richochet into the base of the former Gold Coast Dolphin’s stumps sent him back to the pavilion for 17 and began a day of misery with the bat for the Lions.
Mason’s opening partner Ryan Kettle was down another batting partner two overs later when No.3 Jeff Rosolin was dismissed for a five-ball duck.
Kettle prevented a full-blown collapse with a gutsy 49 to take PBC to lunch at 2-83 but he was squared up and caught at first slip from the bowling of Mackenzie Barclay in the first over of the second session.
From 2-85 the Lions found themselves 5-106 and then all-out for 137, bringing the first Kookaburra Cup title in 11 years within reach for Mudgeeraba-Nerang.
Bushmen skipper Mitch Daly said the job was still only half done.
“It was a good day but it means nothing if we don’t turn up tomorrow,” Daly said.
“It’s going to be business as usual for us, we know how to want to bat.”
Daly said his team’s good luck in dismissing Mason in the 10th over was the key to halting Palm Beach’s momentum after launching four boundaries from their first five scoring shots.
“They batted superbly at the top - all guns blazing,” Daly said.
“We thought they might and they executed their plan well.
“We had a bit of luck to get Canning and Ryan was just superb.
“It was a good wicket to get (after lunch).”
Paceman Barclay (3-21) and spinner Brad Munro (3-32) took three wickets each while medium-pacers Keith Morrison (2-34) and Dayne Siede (2-13) cleaned up the rest.
A strong Mudgeeraba top order will make a strong start vital for Palm Beach on Sunday.
The combined average of Mudgeeraba’s top four is 168.18.
With No.5 Dayne Siede they average more than 200.
Palm Beach skipper Sam Jarrett had no doubt his side, who took the second-most wickets of any team this season, had the firepower to come from behind.
“We’re absolutely capable of doing this,” he said.
“It’s always important to execute our bowling plan with a scoreline like that we definitely need to attack from ball one.
“We can take a few and put them under pressure. From there, it’s a grand final and anything can happen.”
Jarrett said his side could take lessons from the bowling approach of Mudgeeraba and give them a taste of their own medicine Sunday.
“Our bowling plan is similiar to how they bowl,” he said.
“We just want to keep it nice and tight and test the batsman’s patience.
“We’ll let them make the errors.”
GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
PALM Beach Currumbin’s fairytale rise from last season’s wooden spoon to their first Kookaburra Cup title in a decade will come down to a blockbuster decider this weekend with the only team to best them in 2020/21.
The Lions were undefeated until the 15th round of competition when a rare “bad day” scuttled dreams of the first unbeaten first grade season in a dozen years.
Steely Mudgeeraba batting ace Josh Nelson was the principal architect of their defeat, but Mudgeeraba skipper Mitch Daly said his side wouldn’t fool themselves into believing they had Palmy’s measure.
“You can’t underestimate a team like that,” said Daly, who led Mudgeeraba to the top of the table and a grand final berth after a season-ending injury to regular skipper Dylan McLaughlin.
“Sammy Jarrett, Ben Davis, Jai Patel, Ryan Kettle … I know I’ve named half their team there (as threats) but you don’t lose one game of cricket all year by not being a serious cricket team.
“I think we probably got Palm Beach on a bad day and I’m not sure we can look that much into that result.”
Palm Beach’s form doesn’t hold a candle to their early season winning streak.
A last-gasp victory over beleaguered Southport Labrador and a near-certain semi-final defeat to Surfers Paradise - avoided thanks to the rain - has made the Lions even more unpredictable.
“Every team has up and down moments but they managed to win, that’s what we noticed, even when they got themselves into a bit of trouble,” Daly said.
“Winning is a habit and a culture at that club and they’ve been able to get themselves out of some pretty sticky situations.”
Mudgeeraba are nonetheless favourites to win their first title since 2009/10, after taking out the T20 title earlier this season.
The big-hitting stars of that run, including Nelson, Kevin Chapman, Dayne Siede and skipper Daly are more than capable of testing the competition’s best spin attack, led by Ryan Kettle (36 wickets at 9.36) and Ben Davis (23 at 15.25).
Young captain Sam Jarrett says PBC’s balance will be enough to smother Mudgeeraba out of the contest.
“I think we have learned from our mistakes,” he said.
“We’ve gone through that game against Mudgee and what we did wrong.
“Their batting is very good but so is ours, and our bowlers will be up for the game this weekend.”
Washouts help Palm Beach, Mudgeeraba
IN circumstances no team would have wished for, Mudgeeraba Nerang and Palm Beach Currumbin have progressed through to the Kookaburra Cup cricket decider via the washout of day two of the semi-finals.
Surfers Paradise had its foot on the throat of Palm Beach Currumbin at 9-87 on day one but missed out on its chance to consolidate that start into a grand final berth as more than 100mm of rain was dumped on the Coast.
Palm Beach coach Ryan Kettle was adamant his side had earned the right to advance via washout after a near-perfect season.
“It is what it is,” he said.
“You can’t control the weather … unfortunately the weather set in for Surfers but we believe we deserve it.”
Broadbeach was mired in a 9-97 hole at stumps on day one but Mudgeeraba Nerang was thankful the rain washed away arguably the team in the strongest form.
“With the team they’ve got and the run home they’ve had we knew we had an uphill task to chase those runs,” skipper Mitch Daly said. “It was good to see the rain roll in.
“I think we all accept that’s how cricket is but I don’t think it makes it any easier (when washed out) … you don’t get to play in grand finals very often so we hope there’s sunny weather ahead.”
If the rain continues as expected Mudgeeraba will claim the title as its reward for finishing top of the ladder.
It would prove the ultimate boon for a season that saw the club crowned Gold Coast’s most successful from top to bottom in season 2020-21.
CUP BLOWN WIDE OPEN AS LIONS’ WINNING STREAK ENDS
PALM Beach Currumbin’s dream of the perfect season has come to an end after losing its first match in the Kookaburra Cup’s penultimate round.
The Lions had won 11 matches on the trot but found no answers for the batting of Mudgeeraba’s Josh Nelson (89) or the bowling of Kris Morrison (5-15 off 15 overs) in the clash between the top two sides on the ladder at Palm Beach.
Chasing 190 for victory on Saturday, PBC was bowled out for just 112 in 56 overs, its lowest innings total in any format this season with finals one game away. Some may consider it the loss PBC needed to sharpen its resolve ahead of a run to the finals but player-coach Ryan Kettle isn’t one of them.
“It’s not all negative for us but I don’t agree with the ‘loss you had to have’ scenario,” Kettle said.
“I don’t think this is something we needed heading into finals.
“To be fair we were outplayed, we weren’t as disciplined as Mudgee were and it really cost us.
“It’s something we’ll work on in the next few weeks leading into finals.”
PBC’s maiden defeat has scattered all notions of favouritism with four clubs now all on level pegging with form in the race to the finish line.
Mudgeeraba’s chops cannot be discounted while PBC and Broadbeach will be fired up to avenge their defeats this weekend come the playoffs.
All four semi-finalists met three weeks early for a sneak preview of the finals campaign, thanks to a quirk in the draw.
Broadbeach failed to overcome a first-innings century to Surfers opener Wayne Phillips despite the best efforts of all-rounder Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi (49 runs and 4-60).
Batting title will mean nothing without premiership: Nelson
A STEADY-HANDED 89 from Mudgeeraba batting ace Josh Nelson in the rain has threatened to wash Palm Beach Currumbin’s undefeated season down the drain.
The keenly anticipated clash between the first and second-ranked teams on the ladder was almost reduced to a one-day match after the week’s downpour washed out four of the other six Kookaburra Cup clashes at the weekend.
At 2-13, with stars Howard Biddle and Kevin Chapman back in the pavilion, Mudgeeraba may have wished it had been.
Nelson strode to the crease and over the next three hours guided Mudgeeraba to 6-179, where a late collapse saw it post 189 all-out.
The Lions failed to roar in the wet, losing four early wickets including team leading run-scorer Canning Mason to a run-out on the final delivery of the day.
Sitting 4-47, PBC must pray for sunshine and strong batting performances from all-rounder Ryan Kettle, Jeff Rosolin and Andrew Craig to save its innings.
Nelson’s 89 brought him within 36 runs of Kookaburra Cup top dog Nathan Reardon’s season tally of 572 with three days of play left in the regular season.
Reardon was dismissed for 31 in Surfers Paradise’s clash with Broadbeach Robina, the only other match to go ahead in the wet.
Running down Reardon for the batting title would mean nothing unless it was followed by raising the trophy at season’s end, Nelson said.
“I’d rather just win the actual team title, the grand final,” Nelson said.
“I’d pick that over an individual win for sure but it would be really good, especially with the class around in Reardo’ (572 at 63.56) and Trent Keep (Broadbeach, 492 at 82.0) this year.”
Nelson is 48 runs away from his best batting season in 12 years at the crease at Kookaburra Cup level and even two golden ducks in his next innings would see him improve on his best batting average of 51.64 (2019-20).
His gutsy 89 on Saturday was among the toughest in that span with a week of rainfall bogging down the outfield early in the day.
“It was hard going with all the rain this week,” he said.
“Palmy had done well to get a decent pitch but it was definitely one you had to toil and dig in for the runs to come later.
“I was struggling early on – I don’t think I even saw the first five or six balls – but once I got into the game I switched on and was able to play nice and straight.”
A critical error cost him the chance to notch his fourth career century, charging up the pitch to Zak Lopez aiming for six runs but finding only an inside edge to the wicketkeeper.
A disappointing end to a satisfying knock made even better by the quality of opposition.
“PBC have been the best team in the comp all year and for good reason but there’s no better way before the finals to play a team that’s coming first and haven’t lost,” he said.
“It’s going to be a really good finals series with all four teams starting to play good cricket.
“Anyone can win which is going to make it a really good finals series.”
PBC rub salt in Southport wounds with competition’s filthiest ‘dance moves
A stunning late collapse has dashed Southport-Labrador’s hopes of handing Palm Beach Currumbin their first defeat of the season.
Chasing 137 with eight wickets in hand Southport had a golden opportunity to make a Kookaburra Cup statement, but the loss of six wickets for 19 runs saw the side bowled out for 99.
An incredible tag-team spin effort from Ben Davis (3-3, five overs) and Ryan Kettle (3-16, five overs) snuffed out the fight in Southport, who at one stage had whittled down the target to 56 runs with six wickets in hand.
Bailey Johnstone topscored for the chasing Tigers with 24 and his 26-run partnership with Simon Belston (19) hinted that the upset was within reach.
PBC player-coach and competition leading wicket-taker Kettle waited 25 overs for his chance to get involved but struck immediately, dismissing Jai Weise (5) and Lachie Gumm (0) in the first over of his spell to swing back momentum to his side.
That was the beginning of the end for Southport as Davis rose to the fore, taking three of the final four wickets, including Johnstone’s, to secure PBC’s 14th straight Kookaburra Cup win.
Davis, 22, said his side felt no pressure despite Southport drawing within striking distance of the upset.
“We knew we were good enough,” the off-spinner said.
“We just had to do our jobs. The quicks toiled hard in the morning and Kettle got the breakthrough we needed.
“We had to go back to our plans and have faith they would pay off.
“We worked well together and cleaned them up at the end.”
To celebrate a screamer of a catch for one of his wickets Davis marched into the view of the livestream camera and channelled the best of Key and Peele character Hingle McCringleberry with a virile double pelvic thrust at the camera.
“It made me want to pull out the dance moves,” he said.
Davis, who rejoined the team this season after a stint with the Gold Coast Dolphins, said there was no secret to Palm Beach’s resurgence from 2020 cellar-dwellers to outright favourites 12 months later.
“It’s how hard the boys are training,” he said.
“On game day we’re all pretty switched on.
“We’ve got a good balance, everyone is doing their part.
“If someone fails there are 10 other blokes who’ll chip in.
“Unlike some other teams out there we never have just one standout, everyone chips in.”
Palm Beach Currumbin are on the brink of history with finals around the corner.
Since MyCricket records began in 2008/09 no team has recorded an undefeated regular season.
With two games remaining only Mudgeeraba-Nerang and Queens stand in their way.
The second-placed Bushmen will need no further motivation with finals seeding at stake.
Queens will throw everything at PBC because the club’s district record of 15 wins and one loss in 2016-17 is under threat of being overwritten.
Around the grounds, Mudgeeraba-Nerang’s Talha Abbasi’s first innings knock of 89 proved the difference as his side repelled the challenge of Coomera Hope Island.
Chasing 196, Coomera were bowled out for 124 as Mackenzie Barclay and Rhys Finn plundered six wickets between them, including the key scalps of James Kleinschmidt (6) and Ryan Soars (2).
The Bushmen provided plenty of entertainment in a seven over second innings, with Keith Chapman and Howard Biddle blasting 72 runs including 11 boundaries.
Nine of those came from Biddle, who accounted for 32 runs from 20 deliveries, including five dot balls.
There was heartbreak at Burleigh as opener Scott Sanderson was caught out on 99 but those spirits were lifted by a resounding victory against Queens.
The sides are separated by five places and 25 points on the competition ladder but Burleigh were the classier side, bowling out the Centaurs twice.
Jack Tate was sublime in both efforts, collecting five wickets in the first innings and six in the second.
SOUTHPORT FIGHTING FOR KOOKA CUP UPSET
SOUTHPORT-Labrador were written off by all corners when a Christmas player exodus issued an incredible challenge to their depth but on Saturday they will have their chance to prove the entire competition wrong.
Undefeated Palm Beach Currumbin have stumbled into a full-scale ambush on Southport’s home track.
Only a late fightback saved the Lions from a crushing defeat after dropping to 4-7, rallying to post 163 from 63 overs.
Southport lost two wickets in eight overs of fading light but now have 137 runs separating them from the season’s greatest upset.
Middle order batsman Lachie Gumm said the Tigers couldn’t risk taking their time on a wicket they know can turn devilish in the late afternoon.
“It’ll be hard to stay on late in the day so we’re planning to get the job done early,” he declared.
“We’re a batting line-up; myself, Jai Weise, Simon Belston and the boys at the crease (Shubham Rawat and Bailey Johnston) can get the job done.
“It’s big battle but it will definitely put wind in our sails if we knock off the top people on the ladder.
“We’d love to prove people wrong and if we can get this win under our belt I think we can do it.”
Since Round 2 Southport have posted a score of 163 or greater just once in any format.
That was in Round 8, when captain Nick Peterson notched 45 to lead Southport to a win over Runaway Bay.
Just five players from that side will return in Round 14 to face down competition spin king Ryan Kettle, who leads the Kookaburra Cup in wickets taken with 28 at 10.29.
They are Rawat, Weise, Brian Sargent, Devon Hamley and Luc Hart de Keating.
Runaway Bay produced the competition’s top batting performance last week, posting an eminently defendable 232 in their clash with Helensvale Pacific Pines.
Bowlers Jared Austin and Matt Madeley will relish their chance to attack as they plot their climb up the competition’s bowling leaderboard.
Austin sits third with 25 wickets at 14.00, three back from PBC’s Kettle, while Madeley sits in a four-way tie for 11th with 17 wickets at 21.06.
Hawks batting leader Kaleb Day (273 at 22.75) is next at bat.
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