Outfield catch and four wickets secured premiership win

IT is rare for a player to hit a half-century without a four, it all happened in sixes on Saturday.

Maryvale Condamine celebrate the wicket of Colts player Maugan Benn at Slade Park in a grand final victory. Picture: Gerard Walsh

CRICKET: Seven superb overs of bowling by Tom Bourke secured Maryvale Condamine back-to-back premierships in Condamine Cup A-grade cricket on Saturday at Slade Park.

The game started at 11.15am instead of 10am due to wet bowling runups from overnight rain.

Maryvale Condamine batted first and scored 8-218. Four of the top six scored between 35 and 48.

Jason Steketee top scored with 48, opener Andrew Ryan made 42, Mitch Bourke hit 37 and his father Michael Bourke 35.

Colts medium pacer Mitch Watson took 2-24 off four overs, Alastair Costello 2-29 off eight overs of off spin and opening bowler Morgan Bourke 2-47 off eight overs.

Chasing 219 for victory, Colts were 4-54 when John Cleary strode to the wicket to join Kev Poole.

Cleary hit nine sixes in 71 and combined in a partnership of 107 with Poole.

Surprisingly, Cleary did not hit a four, he took the same overhead route to a big score as Brisbane Heat batsman Chris Lynn so often does.

Cleary was dropped on the straight hit but Tom Bourke made no mistake with another skier to long on when he caught Cleary off the bowling of Mitch Bourke.

Poole, who bravely batted in discomfort after injuring his back while fielding, was joined by captain Shaun O'Leary and the target was reduced to 39 runs off 36 balls.

Poole was then caught behind by Pat Gordon off Tom Bourke and with both set batsmen in the pavilion, the chase got tougher. O'Leary went for 13 and the final four wickets fell quickly as Colts were dismissed for 193.

Tom Bourke took 4-40 off 7.1 overs as he and cousin Mitch Bourke bowled in the crucial last 15 overs.

"Tom and Mitch won us the game with their bowling, the dismissal of John Cleary was the turning point,” Maryvale captain Paul Bourke said.

"We were worried when the Colts fifth-wicket partnership was going well.”

In his role as captain, O'Leary was high in praise of his players who were asked to open the batting and bowling with only 10 minutes notice.

"I was very proud of their effort,” O'Leary said.

"We restricted Maryvale to 218 which was gettable. Alastair Costello opened the batting and scored 24, we were under strength and we knew John Cleary had to fire for us to win the game.

"If John could have batted another over or two it would have made a difference.”

Tom Bourke won the Tom and Margaret Walsh medal for player of the final.

In reserve grade, Allora scored 7-185 to defeat Sovereign by 103 runs.

Sean Bryson took 7 for 27 for Allora to be man of the final and Mitch Hay hit 40 runs for Sovereign.

Aaron Veitheer top scored for Allora with 56 and Gavan Schiewe made 42.

Originally published as Outfield catch and four wickets secured premiership win