North Balwyn win the Dunstan Shield Grand Final

North Balwyn have capped off an oustanding season by defeating Mont Albert in the Dunstan Shield Grand Final. The win makes it back to back flags for the club, both of which have come at the expense of Mont Albert. North Balwyn's winning streak goes back to Round 6 in November. 
At the start of the second day, North Balwyn were 1/40 with Max Tomkinson and night watchman Zain Latif at the crease. With only 75 runs to defend, Mont Albert were expected to come out hard from ball one. Skipper Andrew Padbury and Ben Howes did just that and by finding their rhythm immediately. Howes was rewarded with the wicket of Max Tomkinson (31), bowled in the seventh over of the morning. Padbury and Howes kept applying the pressure, dotting up the new batter Jamie Shepherd and Zain Latif. Howes then collected his second wicket of the day dismissing Zatif which brought the experienced Nitesh Patel to the crease. It was then more of the same, runs hard to get and plenty of dots. Padbury had Patel caught at cover for 5 (off 34 balls) and whilst at 4/81, it wasn't panic stations for the visitors, there was a sense the game needed to be won with the next partnership.  It was North Balwyn's youngster Jamie Shepherd who kept a cool head to stave off Mont Albert's attack and guide his team out of danger. When he was dismissed for a well made 31 (from 79 balls including the only boundary for the day) it was 5/99. Elliot Brandon Jones (17* from 53) and skipper Xavier Bateman (3*) reeled in the remaining runs. Mont Albert just didn't have enough runs to defend. Their bowlers did little wrong and would have loved another 50-60 runs to defend. NOrth Balwyn's win was a triumph also for the Bateman family. Simon Bateman, who takes a very low profile, has now coached consecutive Dunstan flags while his son's Xavier (Captain) and Jude were playing in the game. It was Xavier's first season as Captain.