Sunday Turf Grand Finals Wrap: video, interview and photos

The decision of the Balwyn Saints skipper Duminda Yapa to bowl first paid dividends as the favourites Endeavour Hills slumped to 7/35 at the Sydney Pargeter Oval. Balwyn Saints Joel Watts (3/18) and Connor McCredden (3/21) bowled a sensational opening spell. It was left to the Endeavour Hills' lower order to salvage some kind of a score to defend. Ehhesham Khan (28), Imran Akhtar (25) Tehseen Javaid (19) and Waqas Khan (15*) pushed the total to 119 - but the team left 8 overs out on the park. In the after-match interview, Balwyn Saints skipper Yapa said the goal was to restrict Endeavour Hills to 150. In response, the Balwyn Saints openers made a steady start before losing both openers in quick succession. When Manula Ranasinghe (18) was dismissed, the score was 3/45 and the game was still in the balance. Player of the match, Jacques Wessles (58 and 2/39) batting at 3, navigated his side through some excellent bowling - hostile pace at one end and spin at the other - to keep the pressure on the hosts. There was a fantastic period of the match which saw Wessles and the Endeavour Hills skipper playing cat and mouse with tactical field placements being met with equally smart batting and running between the wickets. The 34 run partnership between Wessles and Kasun Rajapaksha (8 from 40) proved critical and all but sealed the result. Veteran Serge Moussi had the privilege of hitting the winning runs.  In the after match presentation, the Endeavour Hills skipper, his team and supporters, whilst disappointed, were generous in their praise of the visitors. Endeavour Hills, who entered three teams in the Sunday Turf Grades this season, have proven to be a formidable club for opposition teams across all three grades and we look forward to next season. It was a treat to have Greg McLeod on present to the victors the perpetual Shield that is named in his honour. 

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A gallant final wicket stand by Toorak Prahran fell just short as East Malvern Tooronga won a thriller in the last over of the Mike Slattery Shield Grand Final. This low scoring affair see-sawed for most of the match in which the bowlers dominated. One of the features of the Sunday turf competition is the mix of the older and experienced players and the raw unbridled enthusiasm of the youth competing in the same match. Plus we see many father and son combinations too. Which was on show in the Div 2 Grand Final. Toorak Prahran's opening bowlers George Reidy (3/14) and Cooper Booth (2/26) made early inroads to have EMT in strife early. In a day where 20s were like gold, (the top score for the match was 24) Jason Smith (22) and Misha-El Seane (14) settled the innings. In what proved to be a decisive period of the match, EMTs wagging tail lead by Tobias Webb (17) pushed the score up to 122 to give something for the bowlers to bowl to. Youngster Hugo Thompson (3/18) bowed with excellent control. Toorak Prahran's chase started disastrously losing Hugo for a first ball duck. Neil Gumley (15) and Sash Yuvaraj (18) pushed the score along - but Joel Matheson (4/17 from 8) was outstanding,  Lachlan Stonehouse off the bowling of Will Stonehouse to seal the win.

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A disciplined bowling effort by Burwood set up their win against their hosts Hawthorn Boorondara at St James Park in the Division 3 Turf Grand Final.

Both teams hadgreat support at the ground as the firiendly rivals faced-off. In what turned out to be the theme of the day at all three Sunday turf Grand Finals, runs were hard to come by. Played in cool and cloudy conditions (and thankfully without rain) and on a good deck, it was the bowlers who dominated. Opener Andrew Shaw (1/14 from 8) set the tone. Ben Middleton (1/12 from his 8) also gave nothing away. Just when the hosts started to bat themselves back into the game with James Daly hitting a quick fire 27 from 38, and Raghu Badari (23 from 26), Scott Grainger (3/25) made sure the innings didn't get away fro them and restricted the total to 132. By comparison, Burwood's top order all made contributions - a 37 opening stand between Oliver Davies (17) and Sam Blackman (19) was golden - and despited some good bowling by Under 16 Junior Jackson McLeod (nephew of Greg) and Christopher Beach (1/9 from 5) with 1/12 from his 5, Burwood proved too strong. Samuel Gillard and Hamish Kenny both struck 24 from 53 balls to put the win within reach with their 49 run partnership. Youngsters William Brasch (16 from 13) and Riley Grainger (14 from 15) showed great composure to lead their side home for the win.

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