DRAGONS CELEBRATE
BELL Park captain-coach Michael Lymer has hailed the “coming of age” of Jamie Spiller, as the wicketkeeperbatsman inspired the Dragons to victory in Saturday’s oneday grand final at Hamlyn Park.
With his side in desperate trouble at 5-28, 26-year-old Spiller showed nerves of steel at No.7, constructing a matchwinning half-century to help his side overcome Marshall.
“It was a really mature innings from Jamie Spiller,” Lymer said.
“It was the type of innings that the kid needed. We spoke about him a few weeks ago and he’s a good player and he loves the club and I know a moment like that for him will change the way he is as a cricketer.
“It was a really mature innings to get 60, but to be honest, he probably gave up a chance to go on and make a big hundred, because other than the run-out, it was a flawless innings.
“To make 60 when you are 5-28, it was a brilliant innings as far as I’m concerned.”
Spiller struck the ball with confidence as he crafted 60 from 78 deliveries in an 89minute stint at the crease, lifting Bell Park to a below-par but competitive total of 9-164.
English import David Toft then tightened the screws for the Dragons, snaring five wickets as the Bears crumbled to be all out for 109 in 39 overs.
“He grabbed all the key wickets,” Lymer said of Toft, who was thrown the ball with the Bears in control at 3-70.
“When we needed him, he got the wickets. I was out of overs, Mitch Trask was out of overs and Shane (Lymer) couldn’t find a spot and neither could Daniel Maclean, so I threw the ball to the Pom and he turned the game on its head.
“He doesn’t even bowl at home, that’s the thing that amazes me. He’s taken 19 wickets this year and he cannot get a bowl in England. I can’t believe it.”
After captain Corey Walter (34) and Lachie Cameron stopped the bleeding for the Bears with a 32-run partnership after Marshall lost a couple of early wickets, Toft entered the game and took control. Toft removed Walter and Jack Maclean took the scalp of Cameron as Marshall crashed to 5-76.
He then went on a rampage, taking the wickets of Stan Grazotis, Jake Dubbeldam, Jake Hilton and Liam Vaughan.
“It was gripping a little bit,” Lymer said of the pitch. “It was a great deck, but it offered a bit for him.”
With the one-day cup in its keeping, Lymer also lauded the contribution of opener Luke Turner, who made a patient 47 from 113 balls as early wickets tumbled around him.
“I think the unheralded one is Luke Turner, who sat through the carnage when we lost four or five quick ones and he kept a calm head,” Lymer said.
“He … absolutely batted the house down, so full credit to him.
“There’s no hiding it, we were in a world of hurt. It’s a testament to the depth that we’ve got, and it just shows that if you lose Toft, (Shane) Lymer, (Jack) Maclean and Steve Kelly — who have all made runs between them — that we’ve still got batting below in the likes of Jamie Spiller, myself and Jarrod Andrews, as well as Mitch Trask and Daniel Maclean.
“The reason we recruited was to try and find some depth. We like doing it tough and we like doing it the hard way and we certainly did it the hard way, but our depth prevailed.”
The match wasn’t without controversy, however, with Lymer visibly frustrated after his team was docked an over due to the Bears’ slow over rate.
“They robbed us of an over because Marshall bowled their overs too slow,” Lymer said.
“We had one ball left in the 49th over and the umpire said, ‘That’s it, you’ve got one ball left’. It caught us off-guard because we were targeting (Brad) Greenwood down wind in that last over to try and pick up 15 off it, and to be told we only had one ball left, made it tough for us.
“It was a pressure situation and we were trying to grab as many as we can. The old saying ‘runs on the board’ turned out to be true.”