Geelong won a second consecutive Provincial Division title at Melbourne Country Week after dropping its first game against Ballarat and then going on a winning streak.
Geelong fell three runs short of victory on day one of the competition on Monday 9 February after Ballarat was all out for 120 at home.
GCA2 star Nikhil Deep Pottabathini, who was arguably Geelong’s player of the tournament, took 5/15 and top scored with 21 with Geelong getting all out for 117.
Geelong needed wins after that and they came, defeating Ferntree Gully on the Tuesday, making 8/251 with Lara master blaster Vishesh Malhotra getting 61 and South Barwon skipper Nick Butters a rapid 49 not out.
North Geelong teammates and fellow left-arm finger spinners Bailey Sykes and Alistair McCann then teamed up to take three wickets each to dismiss Ferntree Gully for 187.
In round three on the Wednesday, Geelong held off Bendigo by five runs after making 9/250 with Pottabathini (52 from 52 balls) and Malhotra (38 from 24) scoring quickly.
Bendigo replied with 9/245 as Newtown & Chilwell’s Nick Keast took three wickets.
Geelong then thrashed Sale Maffra in the first final with Pottabathini (84 from 55 balls) and Keast (76 from 77) getting the total to 9/301.
Sykes (4/47) and fellow slowie Butters (3/39) combined to have Sale Maffra in the sheds for 169.
In the final it was a Shane McNamara masterclass with the East Belmont champion scoring a superb 139 from 135 balls as Geelong set Mornington Peninsula 268 for victory. McCann made a valuable 50 at No 7.
Pacemen Sam Coutts and Sam Ellis did some early damage with the ball while Pottabathini grabbed three wickets to give Geelong the title with a 31-run win although it was Sykes’ 1/20 from 10 overs that really applied the brakes.
Pottabathini was the only non-GCA1 player in the squad and made 196 runs and took 11 wickets for the carnival.
Bellarine Peninsula won its first game of the carnival in Division 2, but didn’t make the finals, although a no-result on day three did help.
Drysdale’s Tallan Burns took nine wickets in three games including 5/20 on day two and Collendina gun Richie Faust made scores of 44 not out, 12 and 90.
