Cricket
10 March, 2025
Donald Jeffcott power to back-to-back
Donald Jeffcott has successfully defended their Wimmera Mallee Cricket Association A-grade premiership with a comfortable 5-wicket win over Birchip Swans at Anzac Park in Warracknabeal on Saturday, March 8.
Birchip won the toss and decided to bat, and Donald Jeffcott showed why they were hot favourites to win, with a blistering opening spell by Daniel Atkins and Eddie Landwehr blowing the Swans away.
In a brilliant bowling spell, the opening bowlers for Donald Jeffcott ripped through the Swans' hearts, picking up the first eight wickets of the match between them, in just the first 16 overs to have the Swans at 8/40.
Daniel Atkins then joined in on the action, and bowling alongside Cooper Anderson, finished the innings off, taking the last two wickets, to bowl the Swans out for 56 in 25 overs.
Lachy Randall showed resistance with the bat for the Swans, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 60 balls.
Landwehr, 4/15 (8), Atkins, 4/18 (8) and Nicholas Atkins, 2/6 (5), along with last year's man of the match, Copper Anderson, 0/15 (4) were sensational for Donald Jeffcott.
Jonty Randall and Riley Doran were then given the ball to defend the small total, and Randall struck early, dismissing Aaron Schofield for three and Daniel Atkins for four.
Riley Doran got the wicket of the dangerous Cooper Anderson for 15, and Jett Adams for a duck, to give the Swans slight hope, with Donald Jeffcott stumbling to 4/30.
However, Lachlan Jones ensured that Donald Jeffcott would win, hitting an unbeaten 29 off 45 balls with five sixes. They reached the total in the 19th over, finishing at 5/57.
Randall, 2/15, Doran, 2/15 and Rylee Smith, 1/11 (6) were brilliant with the ball for the Swans.
Eddie Landwehr was named man of the match following his brutal spell.
Following the grand final, the award winners were also presented. Nic Baird (Marnoo) won the batting aggregate with 428 runs, Lachlan Jones (Donald Jeffcott) won the batting average with 335 runs at 83.75, and David Lang (Marnoo) won the bowling aggregate with 31 wickets and also the average with an impressive 7.55. He was also named the league's champion player.
The team of the year was announced on Sunday, March 9. It features: Nicholas Germano, Brodie Dennes (St Marys), Nic Baird, David Lang (Marnoo), Jacob Patching, Lachlan Patching (St Arnaud), Jonty Randall, Rylee Smith (Birchip), Lachlan Jones, Ed Landwehr, Cooper Anderson, Daniel Atkins (Donald Jeffcott).