Five Geelong cricketers win a B Grade premiership with Darwin Cricket Club

A bunch of Geelong cricketers has had the perfect pre-season: a premiership up north in the Northern Territory.

A quintet of Geelong region cricketers has had the perfect pre-season tune up: a B Grade premiership in Darwin.

Nearly half of Darwin Cricket Club’s premiership-winning B Grade team were Geelong region products: Dylan McMahon and Jordan Rossi from East Belmont, Dylan Slater (City United and previously East Belmont), Blake Troy (North Geelong) and Jake Mundy (Alexander Thomson).

The boys combined cricket with careers, with Slater working through the ranks at NT Cricket after first arriving in 2021, while the other four were teaching or working in construction.

Geelong cricketers (from left) Jordan Rossi, Jake Mundy, Dylan McMahon, Dylan Slater and Blake Troy won a B Grade premiership with Darwin. Picture: Darwin Cricket Club.

It capped off a dominant 13-1 regular season for the Eagles in the second rung competition.

Needing 154 for victory against PINT on Saturday, Rossi (68 not out) and Slater (52 not out) made short work of the chase, getting home with eight wickets in hand and more than 32 overs to spare.

Slater capped off a fine all-round performance with 4/32 off 22 overs with 13 maidens with his off-breaks, after playing the final six games of the home and away season to qualify for finals.

North Geelong’s Ned Cooper. Picture: Wes Cusworth

He also took 5/30 off 17.3 overs in the semi-final win over Nightcliff, with Troy (84) and Mundy (39) putting on 82 for the first wicket during the Eagles’ innings.

“We stuck stronger for longer,” Slater said of the premiership win.

He said the Top End was the perfect place for cricketers looking to enhance their skills over the off-season.

“Instead of going to England where it’s a bit colder, you can come up to Darwin and play cricket six months of the year,” Slater said.

Alexander Thomson’s Jake Mundy. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“It’s the perfect platform moving into your summer season.”

It was almost two from two with the Eagles losing by two runs in the 40-over grand final in May, with Troy (48), Mundy (48) and Rossi (29) contributing useful runs.

In fact, Rossi (618 runs at 68.6), Mundy (528 runs at 44.7) and Blake (435 runs at 33.4) were the leading batters in B Grade for total runs scored.

East Belmont’s Jordan Rossi. Picture: Mark Wilson

Slater first went up north in 2021 to pursue a coaching role at the NT Cricket Academy, playing alongside fellow Geelong players Ned Cooper (North Geelong) and Adam Costello, and has progressed through the ranks at NT Cricket.

It was Rossi and McMahon’s first year up north while Mundy also played last season in Darwin with the Eagles.

Originally published as Five Geelong cricketers win a B Grade premiership with Darwin Cricket Club