Maribyrnong Park St Marys claims VTCA Division 4 premiership double

History was made on Sunday as Maribyrnong Park St Marys won its first VTCA premiership and made it a double as the Second XI saluted as well.

For the first time in VTCA history, Maribyrnong Park St Marys is premier.

The Lions are the champions of Division 4 after a two-wicket win over Moonee Valley at Ormond Park on Sunday.

It’s the club’s first senior flag since merging in 2010-11 when the Moreland Moonee Valley Cricket Association collapsed.

The Second XI then doubled the celebrations with a comprehensive 120-run victory over Gellibrand.

Shasheen Fernando was awarded the grand final medal as best afield for a critical 62 at the top of the order to help Maribyrnong Park St Marys chase down Moonee Valley’s 149.

With the game in the balance at 7-107, Lions skipper Daniel Stavris (25 not out) and No.9 Kanwar Singh (26) put on a match-winning 37-run stand before Stavris finished the job.

“It’s been a long-time coming, in terms of, from the start of the season our aim was to win the grand final,” Stavris said.

“To start the game and have them 5-41 really set the game up and we took three or four blinders from their good batsmen, which was important.

“Shasheen set the platform for us, we had to go in for nine overs before stumps (on Saturday) and he played a couple of crashing cover drives to put them on the back foot and he did it again the next day, which was really important.

“At 2-90 I thought we were going to get there comfortably but credit to Moonee Valley, they really challenged us.

“Kanwar came out and said ‘me and you are going to get us home’, he had this steely look in his eyes and I knew we were going to do it.”

Daniel Umbers was the main destroyer with the ball for Maribyrnong Park St Marys, claiming 4-28, while Stavris credited Cameron Sturrock’s spell.

“Dan Umbers bowled with the breeze and got a lot of nicks, it was just one of those days when everything went to plan,” Stavris said.

“Cam bowled into the breeze, it was like 50kmh gusts, bowled 13 overs straight and got the best batsman in the comp (Salman Afridi), so he was just as important.”

Maribyrnong Park St Marys celebrates its VTCA Division 4 Second XI premiership.

With Moonee Valley struggling at 5-41, Brayden McGregor (46) looked to have swung the momentum back to his team before disaster struck.

A dislocated knee forced McGregor to retire hurt and he was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Alec McIntyre (3-23) and Jack Newman (3-36) were Moonee Valley’s best with the ball.

A fairytale T20 run saw Maribrynong Park St Marys upset Senior Division semi-finalist Aberfeldie and Division 1 semi-finalist Doutta Stars, reaching the preliminary final before losing to Haig Fawkner.

Starvis said the mid-week success played a significant part in the club’s premiership.

“It gave us the confidence we needed to take it up to good sides,” he said.

“It brought the team closer, we’d win the T20 games and go for dinner and it gelled us together for days like (Saturday and Sunday).”

The win sees Maribyrnong Park St Marys return to Division 3 for the first time since 2017-18 when it was sent back to Division 4 as part of a league restructure.

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It lost a grand final to Sydenham-Hillside in 2018-19, with the Storm marching all the way to Senior Division since, and back-to-back semi-finals in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Having bided its time, Stavris is confident his team can compete at the next level.

“It’s exciting, we played against Aberfeldie and Doutta Stars in the T20s and beat them, so we know we can make the step up,” he said.

“I think we’ve got a side that can be consistent at the next level, to get out of Division 4, playing different sides and against new faces will be a good challenge.”