Undera claim Cricket Shepparton Jim McGregor Shield premiership

Old Students won the toss and elected to bat, and for a while, it looked to be the correct decision.

The top order played with composure to avoid flurries of wickets, digging out partnerships of 27, 42 and 32 to reach the 100 mark only two wickets down.

A brain fade following Tahir Yaqoobi’s departure saw Harry Green dismissed in a run out for a diamond duck, before Travis Guppy (3-35) continued to prove he is no small fish, trapping Pubudu Senevirathna LBW - preventing the number four bat from building an innings that loomed dangerous.

It would continue to unravel for Old Students’ middle and lower order, with an 8-42 collapse forcing the navy blue and red to wrap its innings up at over 37 at 143 all out.

With scoreboard pressure against Old Students with the ball, the heat of the game clearly took a toll on its bowling discipline.

24 extras, including 15 wides and three no balls, tripled the sundries conceded by Undera, as a potent opening partnership set the tone for a Lions victory.

A team hat-trick gave Old Students a glimpse of hope after Lion Chris Hauser’s run out ended the 87-run first wicket partnership, as Gill Nav followed up with back-to-back LBWs to remove Guppy on 49 and Ash Hockey for a golden duck, decisions that could not be reviewed by a third umpire despite Guppy’s wishful signalling.

But Bayden Bailey and Joel Bunce would stabilise after the Students’ sharp surge, partnering for 28 runs before Bailey was caught out.

Bunce’s “level head” was praised by Undera skipper Glenn Campbell, as the nervy three-ball patch was quickly rectified by the Lions.

“He was the ideal bloke to come in and face a hat-trick ball, after a team hat-trick as well,” Campbell said.

“He’s a level-headed player who’s been around for a while.”

Bunce and a blazing Russell Sheiff would seal the deal, the latter blasting three sixes to score 22 off nine balls, including back-to-back maximums that were the winning strikes.

It delivered Undera’s only senior men’s cricket side a Jim McGregor Shield premiership in the 29th over, making the minor premiers the official champions of C-grade.

“It was a pretty good way to finish,” Campbell said with a chuckle.

“Sometimes the less Russell has to think about it, and just hit it, the better he can be.

“It was awesome.

“We lost the semi-final last year, and three years before we lost the grand final.

“The team could’ve thrown in the towel but we’ve stuck fat as a group.

“We’ve lost a couple people in the last couple years that were in our thoughts when we won.

“Peter Mitchell particularly, he was the heart and soul of the club for about 30 years and passed away last month, so we had some extra motivation to do it for him.”