Finley’s MVCA c-grade grand final man of the match Lenny Dattoli.
Finley Cricket Club’s C-grade team travelled to Berrrigan on Saturday afternoon, quietly confident they could defeat Strathmerton in the grand final.
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Strathmerton won the toss and elected to bowl first, which suited the Finley side who were keen to bat and get the runs on the board.
Openers Matt Clarke and Lenny Dattoli got the innings off to an excellent start by scoring 60 runs in 13 overs, before Dattoli was bowled by Speechly for 26 from 36 balls.
Ben Nisbet joined Clarke, and they took the score to 75 off 18 overs when Nisbet was dismissed for eight.
With the score on 88, Murray Urquhart was dismissed for three, bringing Paul Massingham to the wicket.
Massingham started well with a four off the first ball faced.
In the 25th over, Clarke reached his 50, and his retirement brought Jack Sexton to the crease.
Jack’s dismissal for two, with the score at 4/111 and 10 overs to play, meant his brother Will was at the wicket.
Everyone was hoping for another swashbuckling 50 from him.
However, he could only manage one six in his innings of 12 runs.
Meanwhile, Massingham had taken his score to 20 before he was caught with the score at 6/134 and six overs to face.
Shibin Benny and Peter Magill moved the score along to 141, when Magill was caught for three, and then Benny was caught for five.
Jake Armer managed 12 runs, Callum Campbell two, and Clarke was 51 not out when the innings finished with the score on 156 in the 35th over.
The Strathmerton openers Tim Bramich and Danny Cleary scored 41 runs in the first nine overs, before Murray Urquhart broke the partnership.
With the score on 66, Armer took his first wicket when Cleary was caught by Massingham.
Four balls later he had his second wicket, and Strathmerton were 3/67.
At the halfway mark, Strathmerton were 4/74 and Armer had three wickets, assisted by Dattoli with two catches.
Two more catches by wicketkeeper Dattoli gave the Finley side the upper hand, as Strathmerton were now 6/85 and looking very shaky.
The Finley bowlers and fielders applied plenty of pressure to the batters, and further wickets to Jack, Massingham, Nisbet and Magill closed the Strathmerton innings out at 125.
It was a great result for the Finley fielders, led by Armer with 4/14 and Dattoli with five catches.
For his outstanding effort with the gloves and 26 with the bat, Dattoli was awarded Man of the Match.
Lenny Dattoli following his man of the match performance in the C-grade final.
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