Cricket Southern Bayside: Mentone beats Carnegie to claim T20 title

Mentone has won its first Twenty20 premiership, outpointing Carnegie on a sticky wicket. See who starred.

Mentone players show off the CSB Twenty20 trophy. Picture: Facebook

Mentone has won its first Twenty20 premiership.

Nine months after claiming the Division 1 flag, the Tigers beat Carnegie in the CSB Twenty20 grand final on Wednesday night.

On a sticky wicket at Hogben/Meckiff Oval, Mentone paceman Darcy Brown (2-8 off 3 overs) grabbed two early wickets to set the tone after Carnegie chose to bat first.

Tigers marquee player, Dandenong left-arm orthodox spinner Akshat Buch (3-18 off 3.4 overs), tightened the screws and Lee Cormie (2-10 off 3 overs) was also sensational with the ball as Carnegie’s innings expired in the 18th over, all out for 77.

Akshat Buch.

Lee Cormie.

Lex Middag top scored for Carnegie with 21 off 24 balls.

In reply, Mentone was 2-11 before skipper Dane Heverin (27no off 43 balls, with 2 fours, 1 six) and Comrey Edgeworth (38 off 31 balls, with 4 fours) shared a 61-run partnership as the Tigers (3-78) achieved victory in the 16th over.

Heverin said Edgeworth, who was named man-of-the-match in the grand final, was “a class above’’.

“He was the only bloke on that pitch to score better than a run a ball,” he said.

Comrey Edgeworth was man of the match.

Heverin said it was tough going on the “soft and sticky” pitch that had sweated under covers during thunderstorms on Tuesday.

“It was really sticky on top,” he said.

“It was hard work batting on it.

“We bowled really well, our guys bowled in great areas and our fielding was really good.

“It definitely wasn’t an easy (run) chase, we had to grind it out, just gradually knock them off.”

Heverin saw the variable bounce first hand early in his innings.

“It was maybe my second or third ball, it was one that would normally come through at waist height from back of a length and it ballooned over my head and was a wide, so I said, ‘okay, we’ve just got to tough it out on this’,” he said.

“And that’s literally what you had to do.”

Heverin said Mentone would now turn its attention to “making a charge” towards finals in CSB Championship.

“We’ve lost a couple of close games since Christmas…so we know we’re close, we’ve just got to tidy up a few things and hopefully we can make a run at it,” he said.