Sport
25 March, 2025
Colts Phelans defeat Carisbrook by 35 runs to win 2024/25 A grade premiership
For the first time in nearly a decade, Colts Phelans have galloped to the mountaintop, winning the 2024/25 MDCA A grade grand final against Carisbrook by 35 runs.
The result is vindication for a side that has fallen just short on multiple occasions and has finally been rewarded for their efforts.
The Colts were tasked with batting first on Saturday at Princes Park, with openers Rhys Wagstaff and Harrison Kurzke looking to get their team out of the gates early.
However, it was Carisbrook who drew first blood, with Liam Hurse grabbing the wicket of Kurzke for four when he was caught by Jordan Hooper.
Charlie Scorer joined Wagstaff in the middle and scored consistently off Carisbrook’s opening bowlers of Hurse and Atticus Cullinan.
Not willing to rest on their laurels, Carisbrook introduced Ritik Yadav into the game and he delivered immediately.
He tempted Scorer to leave his crease before some nifty wicketkeeping from William Coutts stumped Scorer for 20.
With the score at 2/43, Wagstaff and new batsman Max Jackson were concise in slowly building the Colts’ position in the match.
The duo would add another 37 to the total before Wagstaff was run out, breathing new energy into Carisbrook.
Cole Harris would make the most of that energy, bowling the big wicket of Jackson for 32 to put the game in the balance at 4/94.
Determined to prevent a mid-order collapse, Regan Goundry and Wayne Stubbings combined to wrestle back control for the Colts, asking some pertinent questions of the Carisbrook attack.
Chris Lee had the answer for Carisbrook, ending the 59-run partnership by dismissing Goundry for 36 after he was caught by Cullinan.
That brought Colts captain Rhys Egan to the crease, who has been on a good run of form with the bat, averaging 52 in his last two knocks.
With the day’s play starting to wind down, Stubbings and Egan began to cut loose, finding the boundary with regularity before Egan was caught by Yadav for 31 off Dean Nalder’s bowling.
With the Colts sitting healthy at 6/203, the remaining batters were tasked with adding some needed insurance runs quickly.
Yadav and Nalder would throw some roadblocks, with the former making Ben Evans’ stay at the crease a short one after he was caught by Coutts for one, and the latter claiming the wicket of Dayne Baker for one when he was out LBW.
Luke Tatchell managed to survive for the rest of the innings, allowing Stubbings to top-score on 63 not out as the Colts finished on 8/226.
Yadav put in a monstrous shift for Carisbrook, bowling a mammoth 34 overs to finish with figures of 2/75.
Nalder also claimed multiple wickets from his six overs, ending on 2/28.
As the sun started to shine on Sunday, Carisbrook openers Brayden Wright and Martin Mark walked out for the last time this season, with their eyes set on a target of 227.
The duo navigated the dangerous spells of Nick Henderson, Jackson and Baker, surviving the toughest conditions without loss.
With Carisbrook getting off to a good start, the Colts knew they needed someone to step up to put the pressure on Carisbrook.
That someone was Ben Evans.
First, he bowled Wright for 18, reigniting the Colts’ confidence after Carisbrook’s 41-run opening stand.
Evans continued to build by removing Mark for 20, with Scorer holding on to a good catch.
Just as new batsmen Hooper and Coutts began to settle, Evans would strike again, this time sending Hooper back to the pavilion after he was caught by Jackson for five.
From being 0/41, Carisbrook was now 3/51 with a lot resting on Coutts and the next man in Hurse to steady the ship.
The pair seemed very composed under pressure, their smart batting combined with their quick and gutsy running between the wickets brought Carisbrook back into contention, frustrating the Colts.
Evans would once again be the one to bring about a breakthrough, ending Hurse’s superb effort at 41 when he was caught by Jackson.
With the score at 4/118, Nalder re-joined the fray, looking to replicate his semi-final performance against Laanecoorie Dunolly, scoring 74 off 64 balls.
Nalder looked to be in fine touch immediately and it seemed the game was heading for a grandstand finish.
However, Evans would provide another dagger in Carisbrook’s ambitions, as Nalder was caught behind by Tatchell for nine, changing the complexion of the match.
Carisbrook’s hopes would take another blow shortly thereafter, as Coutts was left stranded thanks to an unfortunate run out, ending his innings at 22.
With Carisbrook running out of time at 6/136, Harris and Yadav looked to make runs quickly.
However, their innings were short-lived, as Evans grabbed his sixth wicket by bowling Harris for four.
Stubbings followed in Evans’ footsteps, dismissing Yadav for seven after he was stumped by Tatchell.
Lee and Cooper Mark continued to fight until the very end, adding 21 runs to the total before Jackson bowled Mark for 10, leaving the Colts just one wicket away.
That wicket would come when off a Stubbings delivery, Jackson made a wonderful diving catch in the deep to end Lee’s innings at 21 and ensure Carisbrook would fall 35 runs short.
