BENTLEIGH Uniting was crowned the CMCA's Longmuir Shield champion on Sunday after thrashing Carnegie South in the grand final.
BENTLEIGH Uniting was crowned the CMCA's Longmuir Shield champion on Sunday after thrashing Carnegie South in the grand final.
Uniting won by 10 wickets after routing South for 55 in one of the most disappointing deciders in years.
On a rain-hit first day, the Redbacks won the toss but that was the last thing that went right for them as they struggled to reach 3-39 in the 26 overs they could face.
Luke Cody struck first, trapping Hugh Nicholson in front for 1 in just the fourth over.
Tom Lewis and Rudi Schleiger were solid in taking the score along to 23, before Lewis drove at a wide delivery from Damian Britt and was comfortably caught at second slip by Glenn Lalor for 13.
Then Tim "Tiger" Snape was caught behind without scoring off Luke Manders to leave the score at 3-24.
Schleiger (12no) and Gihan Pereira (6no) were able to get through without further loss, before the heavens opened.
But day two was a disaster for Carnegie South. Schleiger went early for 14, starting a collapse in which it lost 7-10 in nine overs, including its last six wickets for only two runs.
Britt collected 4-18 off 15 impeccable overs of seam bowling. Veteran quick Simon Surridge chipped in with 3-10 off 10 overs and the Redbacks were blown away for 55 in the 41st over.
It has to be said that the Uniting bowling and fielding mirrored perfection in difficult conditions with barely a bad ball bowled and every half-chance snapped up.
With such a modest target, Uniting openers Tom Backman (11no) and Brett Turner (42no) didn't need overdrive as they simply slipped into cruise control to knock off the required runs in 16 overs.
It was an unfortunate end for a Carnegie South team that had clawed its way through the season with plenty of determination to earn a deserved shot at Uniting, but was simply outclassed by a superior team. Britt earned man-of-the-match honours for his wonderful spell of bowling.
Premiership team: Tom Backman, Brett Turner, Simon Richards, Glen Lalor, Ashley Russell, Luke Manders, Jason McConville, Jarryd Allan, Damian Britt, Luke Cody, Simon Surridge.
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