Sport
6 March, 2026
Two junior flags for Derrinallum
DERRINALLUM has taken out the Grenville Cricket Association under 16 grand final with a thrilling last ball win over Linton on Sunday.
Linton won the toss and sent the junior Tigers into bat at the Derrinallum Recreation Reserve, the home team making 7/79 in an innings reduced from 25 to 20 overs due to the weather.
Derrinallum reached 0/11 from the first six overs before the game had a rain interruption, which resulted in the match being shortened.
“We had our batsman doing the right thing, playing themselves in,” Derrinallum coach Jayson Thompson said.
“Then we lost them straight away when play resumed as they had to go out there and speed things up a bit.”
Eddie Gellie and Patrick Greig combined for a 40 run, fourth wicket partnership to set up Derrinallum’s total.
“They’re maybe 11 and 12 years old,” Thompson said.
“Both Eddie and Patrick play in our under 12 team so it was a huge effort from them to put those runs together that were crucial in the end result.”
Gellie top scored with 25 from 31 balls, with Greig batting until the end to finish unbeaten on 18 from 30 balls.
Fletcher Greig ripped through the Linton top order to reduce the visitors to 5/21.
With Linton at 9/48 after 15 overs, victory was in sight for Derrinallum.
But Linton’s last wicket pair started to pile on the runs, and with one over to go they needed five runs to score an unlikely win.
Alexander Cronly was given the job of bowling the last over.
The first ball went for two, with no score off the second ball.
“I just couldn’t think straight, we were getting pretty nervous,” Derrinallum captain Neave Thompson said.
“I was stressing a little bit.”
The third ball saw a throw from fielder Finn Gellie to Cronly at the bowlers’ end run out the Linton batsman, who was running through for a second run to tie the scores.
“It was very exciting, we all ran up and hugged him (Finn Gellie),” Neave said.
“I think they tried to run two because he was the smallest player on the ground.”
Cronly finished with 3/7 from 3.3 overs, with Fletcher Greig earlier taking 4/11 from four overs.
“Cronly wasn’t always super keen on cricket,” Jayson said.
“He’s moved in from out of town, so we gave him some balls, and he goes down the nets and starts bowling, he’s improved out of sight, just one of the nicest actions you will see.”
After being well beaten in round one by their grand final opponents, Jayson didn’t expect the season to pan out the way it did.
“After that first loss we were thinking it was going to be a very long season.
“Because we had five under 12 players and another three under 13s we were particularly young, but they all did something at some stage during the season to win games which was pleasing.”
Derrinallum will retain most of its team next season, with Neave the only top age player.
“They’re a wonderful group of kids,” Jayson said.
“We couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Derrinallum made a clean sweep of the Grenville junior premierships with the under 12 title last Friday night.
Derrinallum reached 0/19 from 4.5 overs against Carranballac before play was abandoned due to rain, the junior Tigers awarded the premiership due to finishing higher on the ladder.
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