Coolac drop their bundle… and Elders Cup

Brad Gorman drops a sitter off the bat of Matt Stubbs.

For the second-straight year, Coolac have capitulated in the Elders Cup grand final, going down to Wyangle by eight wickets at The Bull Paddock on Saturday. 

After an uncharacteristic batting performance, in which Coolac were bowled out for 90 before their 40 overs was up, the Highwaymen then backed this up with a dismal performance in the field.

Coolac gave Matthew Stubbs three chances in the early stages of the innings, while Dave Shedden had a chance go through slips.

“We made it tough for ourselves. We lost wickets when batting early and then after those few wickets, it was a matter of trying to bat out 40 overs instead of trying to score a lot of runs,” said Coolac captain, Tim Graham. 

“With 90-something on the board, you can’t drop many catches and I think we dropped five, which isn’t good enough.”

Graham praised a relentless Wyangle bowling attack, which essentially proved the difference on the day.

“I guess all credit to them, they bowled well.” Graham said.

“Goodey (James Goode) bowled well, Dean Crane was tight, and he is always hard to score off.”

Graham was obviously disappointed in the loss but reiterated Coolac’s love of the game, before one last complement was offered to the back-to-back premiers. 

“We just love playing cricket. We would have loved to have won, but they were better on the day,” Graham said.

Game report

Tim Graham tried his best for Coolac, scoring 33 in a tough day at the office.

Coolac won the toss and elected to bat and after a James Goode beamer went over Adam Graham’s head for three runs, the Minor premiers would have been hopeful of a big first innings total. 

That initial hope was soon gone, when four balls later, Goode bowled Graham for a duck.

Simon James was joined by Angus Stapleton and both players looked to score but the ever-dangerous Stapleton was out for 13 in the seventh over, when he an edged a ball that skied into the sun before being well taken by John Breed off Goode’s bowling and Coolac were 2/26. 

Simon James was out in the first ball of the next over, when Brenton Hotham had one jag back in, tacking the top of off-stump and reducing Coolac to 3/27.

Luke Graham joined Tim Graham in the middle and the pair set about solidifying the innings, batting through to drinks, where Coolac were moderately placed at 3/51. 

After bowling three straight maidens before drinks, Crane had his first wicket after the break, and it was a good piece of wicket-keeping by Dave Shedden that brought Luke Graham unstuck. 

Graham edged the Kookaburra significantly, but Shedden moved swiftly to his left, sweeping up the catch in a terrific effort and Coolac were now 4/52.

Rob Barron and Joe Scott were then out in quick succession and unable to register a score; Barron bowled by John Breed and Scott bowled by Dean Crane and Coolac were struggling at 6/56 in the 23rd over. 

Mark Sharman came to the crease and dug his heals in, scoring 11 before Crane and Shedden combined again in the 27th over, the pair removing Sharman and leaving Coolac 7/68.

Anthony Nicholls then combined with Graham for 22 runs, Nicholls scoring 12 before he was bowled by Goode

The left-arm quick had his fourth wicket the very next ball, bowling Duane Shawcross for a duck and Coolac were 9/90. 

The South African, Ray Tollemache, had the final wicket of the innings, when he bowled Tim Graham on an innings-high 33, reducing Coolac to all out for 90 after 37.2 overs.

In reply, Wyangle looked scratchy, with Matt Stubbs surviving his fair share of dropped catches and near misses, but to his credit, he was able to survive to drinks with veteran, Dave Shedden; Wyangle comfortably placed at 59 without loss of a wicket after 20 overs. 

Simon James came into the attack and looked the most likely of the Highwaymen’s bowlers, and he was rewarded when he caught and bowled Stubbs on 40 before trapping Dylan Piper-Bye leg before wicket on zero.

The damage was already done though, and Shedden (37 not out) combined with Dean Crane (8 not out) to lead their side to a comfortable eight-wicket with 8.1 overs remaining.

Coolac Innings

A. Graham, b J. Goode            0

S. James, b B. Hotham 10

A. Stapleton, c J. Breed, b J. Goode    13

T. Graham, b R. Tollemache   33

L. Graham, c D. Shedden, b D. Crane 4

R. Barron, b J. Breed   0

J. Scott, b D. Crane      0

M. Sharman, c D. Shedden, b D. Crane          11

A. Nicholls, b J. Goode 12

D. Shawcross, b J. Goode        0

B. Gorman, not out     0

Sundries:         7

Total:   10/90

Bowling: J. Goode 9-1-4-26, B. Hotham 6-1-1-15, J. Webb 4-0-0-11, D. Crane 10-4-3-15, J. Breed 5-1-1-9, R. Tollemache 3.2-0-1-11.

Wyangle Innings

M. Stubbs, c&b S. James         40

D. Shedden, not out    37

D. Piper-Bye, lbw S. James      0

D. Crane, not out        8

Sundries:         7

Total:   2/92

Bowling: R. Barron 8-5-0-11, D. Shawcross 7-0-0-24, B. Gorman 3-0-0-8, T. Sharman 3-1-0-8, T. Graham 5-1-0-19, S. James 5.5-3-2-15.

Wyangle win by eight wickets

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