Premier Cricket grand final: Carlton out to break long premiership drought

Carlton last won a District Cricket premiership in 1980-81, when the great Keith Stackpole was coach. Now the Blues are into the grand final and “Stacky’’ is right behind them in their quest for a flag.

Evan Gulbis has led Carlton superbly this season.

The great Keith Stackpole played in four District Cricket premierships with Carlton.

Quirkily, on each occasion the Blues defeated Richmond.

Years later he says the grand final victories gave him the biggest kicks of his career.

Remember, spirited “Stacky’’ played 43 Test matches for Australia, cracking seven centuries.

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Keith Stackpole batting for the Blues in 1979.

“District cricket was tops,’’ Stackpole, 78, said today.

“The state players used to come back and, the Test players, and most clubs around Melbourne were hard to beat.

“It’s always tough to win a grand final. I must admit the greatest thrills I got out of cricket — and people think this is trivialising a little bit — the greatest thrills came from playing in District premierships.

“Only one team can win and you prove you’re the best team for the whole season. Sometimes you play a Test match and you might do well and win. Then a week later you play another Test match and you make a couple of ducks and you lose. I thought those premierships were magnificent.’’

John Scholes captained the Blues to their last flag, in 1980-81.

The last of Stackpole’s flags came in 1980-81, when the Blues got the better of the Tigers at the Albert Ground.

The club hasn’t won a flag since, but it’s through to the grand final after seeing off Essendon in the preliminary final on the back of captain Evan Gulbis’s dazzling double of 130 and 6-45.

The Blues will meet Geelong in a three-day final starting at the Junction Oval on Friday, eager to add to the National T20 championship they claimed in March.

In 1980-81 Stackpole was coach and John Scholes captain of the Blues, and the team featured a young Dean Jones, international Ian Callen and two names synonymous with the Melbourne District cricket scene, Neil Buszard and Kevin Whichello.

Led by 78 from Scholes and 57 from Whichello, the Blues reached 242 and dismissed the Tigers for 135, with Callen taking 3-50.

Future state player Geoff Richardson top scored with 47 for Richmond, whose team included Graham Yallop, Jim Higgs, Phil Hyde, Michael Quinn and Russ Sincock.

Stackpole can remember driving to the ground with Buszard for the second day of play.

“It was a misty day, just like a fog, a strange autumn day. The ball started to move around a little bit for our bowlers, and we ended up knocking them over,’’ he said.

“We didn’t have a great score on the board, so it was a great victory.’’

Stackpole’s leg-spin dismissed Yallop for three, caught by Bill Tyson at short-leg. “The ball must have hit something on the pitch,’’ he said with a laugh.

Tom Smyth hitting out for Carlton.

Greg Smyth, who played in the Carlton team, said it was typical that Stackpole would remove Yallop.

“He liked to take on the opposition’s best player,’’ he said. “That was Stacky. Great leader and fierce competitor, and we competed fiercely with the bat and the ball and in the field. I think we were the best fielding side. Neil Buszard was a gun in the field.’’

Smyth, 59, can remember snatches of the grand final: Scholes batting well before being run out, the Blues fielding brilliantly and grabbing two run-outs “which were probably key’’.

His abiding memory is of the pressure and how every run was valuable. “It was a low scoring game, very tight,’’ he said.

Almost 40 years later, Smyth’s sons Tom and Harry will line up for the Blues in the grand final against the Cats.

Both are fine Premier players and, like their father, sprang from Sub-District club Box Hill.

Smyth got a golden duck in the ’80-81 season-decider, caught behind off Jeff Russ. If he had his time over, he said, he would have cover driven the ball for four.

Three weeks ago he watched on proudly in the qualifying final as Tom batted for 100 overs for 67 not out to give Carlton a draw and passage to the preliminary final.

“Pretty exciting for me to watch the kids each week, no different to any other father,’’ he said.

“The boys have done well. I’m very proud of them. Some weeks it’s bittersweet, when one makes runs and the other misses out. Very rarely do they both score 50-plus. It’s happened a few times. Hope it happens this weekend.’’

Aaron Smillie is part of Carlton’s strong fast-bowling attack.

Carlton president John Douglas bowled pace for the Blues and played for Victoria (and also league football for North Melbourne).

But he missed the 1980-81 grand final after having his appendix removed before the semi-final. Mick Laidler replaced him and took two wickets.

Douglas attended the match and “I think I was able to participate in the celebrations, although very minorly’’.

“What I can remember is the message from ‘Stack’ (Stackpole) that we had to keep it tight,’’ he said. “Richmond had a very good batting line-up and the bowlers managed to put the pressure on and never went for more than one or two per over.’’

Douglas has been president for 15 years and he said a grand final appearance had been “a long time coming’’.

“The last one was 2008-09 and that was pretty disastrous so hopefully we can do some good this time,’’ he said.

“I think we’ve got a well-balanced side, to be honest. A variety of bowlers — four medium-quicks, left-arm orthodox, a right-arm off-spinner, some handy bowlers even among the batting group — some good batsmen, a bit of youth, a bit of experience. Hopefully we have the right mix.’’

Blues coach Warren Ayres.

He said coach and legendary Premier batsman Warren Ayres had brought to Princes Park a “winning finals experience’’ and the discernments of building an innings. Douglas said Ayres was a great advocate of “hitting the ball along the ground, and if you keep it on the ground you’re not going to get caught’’.

“He’s strong on that. It’s a simple one and he tries to keep it a simple game,’’ he said.

“He’s had a really positive influence on our players.’’

Stackpole often drops in to Princes Park and he watched the Blues get past Essendon.

He said Carlton had a good team led by Gulbis.

“They’ve played top cricket all year, and each week someone seems to be standing up and doing something special, like Evan last weekend,’’ he said.

“You won’t find too many better performances in the history of District Cricket. A magnificent performance from him. He’s a good leader and he’s got a good blend of good, young players and some experienced players. They’ll give it their best, I know that.’’

The first ball will be bowled on Friday at 10.30am.