THE Batemans Bay Cricket Club powered to victory over Nowra in the third-grade grand final, winning the club's first ever two-day premiership in the Shoalhaven competition.
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The Bay side went in as heavy favourites, having inflicted a heavy outright defeat on Nowra in a mid-February clash. Nowra was also on the losing side in their one-day clash earlier in the season.
Both teams were slightly concerned that the match wouldn't go ahead due to heavy rains, but the weather held off on Saturday, allowing the match to go ahead.
Batemans Bay won the toss and sent Nowra in, gambling that there would be no further rain. That gamble quickly paid off, as the visitors lost five wickets inside the first hour of play.
A middle order fightback gave Nowra's score some respectability, but the Batemans Bay attack was too good in bowling the visitors out for 94.
Veteran seamer Andrew Malcolm was the best of the bowlers, taking 3/15 from his nine overs. New ball partner, and Andrew's son, Lachlan took 2/15.
The quick innings gave Batemans Bay an hour and a half to work with on day one, but some tight bowling from Nowra made sure of a second day of play.
Young opener James Dickinson was the first man to fall, run out after a deflection from the bowler. His opening partner Dave West was dismissed for 22, and Nowra had a sniff with the score at 2/40.
Batemans Bay skipper Pat Griffin and his son Sean defended stoutly to see out the remaining overs to leave the home side at 2/56 at the end of day one.
Play resumed on Sunday morning in sunny conditions, and the Griffins took full advantage, as they ground their way to a first-innings lead.
Pat Griffin was eventually dismissed for 43, giving Tom Purcell an opportunity at the crease. Purcell combined beautifully with Sean Griffin to guide the Bay to a score of 3/164 at lunch, a lead of 70 runs.
Nowra were in a position where an unlikely outright victory was its only chance of winning the premiership, and it was running out of time to do it.
Acknowledging the team's plight, Nowra's captain, Graham Morris, conceded defeat during lunch break, and Batemans Bay were officially third-grade premiers. Pat Griffin was named man of the match by the umpires.
