Eastern Cricket Association: Toorak Prahran ends four summers of disappointment with MacGibbon Shield grand final win

Toorak-Prahran ended its long run of outs when it capped a season of dominance by raising the MacGibbon Shield after the opening day of the two-day grand final against Clifton Hill.

Toorak Prahran returns from the drinks break ready for one last crack at Clifton Hill. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Toorak-Prahran ended its long run of outs when it capped a season of dominance by raising the MacGibbon Shield after the opening day of the two-day grand final against Clifton Hill at Balwyn Park on Saturday.

Since crossing from the Southern Cricket League in 2014, Toorak Prahran had lost three semi-finals before going a step further and reaching the grand final last summer, only to crash disastrously at the hands of Edinburgh.

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Toorak Prahran keeper Brandon Speedie appeals for a run out. Picture: Stuart Milligan

After finishing the home-and-away season some 4½ games clear at the top of the ladder, Toorak Prahran entered the finals as the warmest of favourites.

Post-season cricket, however, can be a cruel beast, the Combine knows that only too well.

But for a group that has been together for more than half a dozen summers, this was to be a game of redemption.

Clifton Hill won the toss and took to the crease first but was swept from Balwyn Park in the space of 45.3 overs for just 81 runs.

Matthew Gobbo, with 4-20 off eight overs, and skipper Hugo Trotter, 3-14 off 13.3, did most of the damage.

Toorak Prahran’s Matt Gobbo celebrates a wicket. Picture: Stuart Milligan

In reply, Toorak Prahran left nothing to chance and ran up the necessary runs in 30.1 overs with seven wickets left safely in the bank.

Shane Speedie (48 with 8 fours) and Jack Reeves (27 not out with 5 fours) carded the bulk of the runs before the captains shook hands and Toorak Prahran breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s a weird feeling,” Trotter said on Sunday. “It’s the last thing we thought we’d be able to do, finishing it in a day is a particularly big shock. Even the celebrations were a bit subdued.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s more relief for me as a captain and making sure we finished things off (after dominating the regular season).”

Trotter said, after losing the toss, he’d set the side to dismiss the opposition for less than a hundred.

“We know those little totals can be pretty tough in big games,” he said. “We dropped two catches in the first 10 overs, there were obviously a few nerves out there.

“But we were able to create a pressure cooker out there and we were able to strangle them.”

The Toorak Prahran skipper said this year’s win had been built on the heartbreak of defeat at the hands of Edinburgh last summer.

“It’s weird, but to me, losing last year was good for us,” he said. “Particularly in keeping us all together for this year.”