Armstrong Creek opener Clay Mulgrew put on a batting masterclass to guide his club to its maiden Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A1 Grade premiership.
Mulgrew made chanceless 135 from 231 deliveries to take his season’s tally to an astonishing 898 as the Titans ended day one on 8/202 against Barwon Heads.
It was pretty much a one-man show with Adam Trevean’s 21 the next highest score.
Heads’ skipper Daniel Donaldson sent down 32 overs of legspin, taking 4/70 in a superb performance.
Brent McMinn opened the bowling with his off-spinners after the withdrawal of paceman Darcy Hewitt due to a side strain. McMinn took 1/57 from 20 tidy overs.
On day two, Titans’ left-arm seamer Jason Robertson barely bowled a bad ball. He went wicketless, but conceded just 13 runs from 12 overs with Seagull openers Max Melzer and Jaxon Mallett struggling to get the bowling away.
Melzer eventually found his groove and went to 51 from 106 balls, but pace bowler Lachlan Mulgrew struck after tea and then got rid of the dangerous McMinn for one.
Mallett upped the ante and would go on to make a patient 46 from 171 balls, but became Jack Maclean’s first wicket of the day.
Matt High was promoted up the order, but didn’t last long, while Angus Ford was lbw for a duck.
Donaldson was now playing a lone hand, although Jacko Mallett (12 off 25) chipped in.
With 16 balls remaining, it was fitting that Lachlan Mulgrew took the final wicket. He finished with 3/42 from 16.5 overs while Maclean was superb with 5/64 from 20. Daniel Maclean was his usual tidy self conceding 45 from 17 overs.
Donaldson finished unbeaten on 54 with the Heads all out for 189.
Inverleigh earned promotion to A1 Grade next season with a rousing win against Wallington.
Wallington was sent in and found runs difficult to come by.
Nick Adamson dug in and played well for 36 from 96 balls, but missed a paddle sweep off leggie Henry Collins and was trapped in front.
Danny Midolo was bowling economically and Wallington needed a partnership.
Eventually it came in the form of Dane Wise-Graham (31) and Mitchell Sleeman (33) and they got the score up to 141 on a slow outfield at Barwon Heads.
Matthew Spiller, Midolo and Collins each took two wickets for the Kookaburras while Lock Perrett took 1/14 from 13 overs.
Inverleigh took its time to compile a winning score, but the runs were made in the 72nd over with six wickets to spare.
Runs to Lachie Platt (37), David Peel (36 not out) and Kieran McNally (25 not out) ensured Inverleigh’s demotion to A2 Grade lasted only one season.
