VSDCA 2020-21: Werribee to face Kew in North-West group grand final

After prevailing in two cut-throat finals, Werribee captain-coach Tim O’Brien has declared his team can topple red-hot favourite Kew in the decider.

Shaun Dean played another top knock for Werribee. Picture: Hamish Blair

Giant-killing Werribee has come from fifth position to score a grand final berth.

The Tigers eliminated Plenty Valley from the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association flag race on Saturday and will meet red-hot flag favourite Kew in the North-West group decider.

Werribee has faced cut-throat clashes in the opening two weeks of finals, but it has lifted for the occasion to advance to its third grand final since 2012-13. It went down to a star-studded Melton that season and qualified in 2019-20 before the coronavirus pandemic intervened.

Captain-coach Tim O’Brien lauded the efforts of his side in a season of one-day fixtures.

“Considering our strongest format has probably been two-day cricket, pretty proud of the boys to get there,” O’Brien said.

“But we’ve got one more game against a tough opponent.

“You want to be playing good cricket at the right end of the year and the last two finals have been good. Obviously we had a slip up against Plenty Valley in the last round, but before that we won a lot of games.”

Kew has dominated the competition this season after securing the big-name signings of John Hastings, Matt Brown and Will Sheridan.

The minor premier knocked off Brunswick by 24 runs in the other semi-final and will host Saturday’s decider, but it is battling some injury concerns.

Werribee suffered a 56-run defeat when the pair met in Round 6, O’Brien pointing to “five or six” dropped chances in a disappointing fielding display as Kew’s powerful batting line-up piled on 4-240.

“We can beat them,” O’Brien said.

“They haven’t lost a game for the year, so not many teams go undefeated all year.

“It only takes one slip up and we’re playing good cricket. There’s no more pressure than in a grand final and we’ll throw everything at them.

“We haven’t got much to lose … the pressure will be all on them.

“If we win the toss, put some runs on the board and put them under pressure, who knows what can happen.”

Shaun Dean hit 64 from 97 deliveries at the top of the order to help the Tigers post 5-207 against Plenty Valley.

It was his fourth half-century for 2020-21 to go with a knock of 110 against Ivanhoe, lifting his season tally to 552 runs at 46.

Matt Dean (42 from 61) also impressed, the brothers putting on 74 for the second wicket to lay the foundations for what proved a match-winning total.

The Bats appeared gone when they slipped to 4-41 and then 7-135, but wicketkeeper-batsman Rory Collins’ defiant knock kept the home team in the game.

Collins was run out in the last over for a 99, with his hand featuring seven boundaries and four sixes as Plenty Valley finished 9-199 to lose by eight runs.

“It did get to nine or 10 (runs an over required) from the last 10, but with him (Collins) still there and the short boundary, it was still always game on,” O’Brien said.

“It came down to the wire in the last over.”

James Freeman (2-13), Jonathan Burton (2-27), Michael Kelly (2-35) and Mathew Palmer (2-45) were in the wickets for Werribee.

O’Brien said the Tigers’ grand final XI would come from 12 players, with Ryan Alifraco overlooked for selection.

Alifraco made 33 and claimed 1-32 from eight overs as Werribee’s Second XI lost its semi-final against Preston.