The pitch was a batter's paradise for Cricket Shepparton's B-grade one-day grand final between Numurkah and Central Park-St Brendan's.
When the Blues' Kody Jackson came to the crease with the score at 1-34 chasing the Tigers' total of 156 on a flat deck, Numurkah was the firm favourite.
However, Jackson was, in no uncertain terms, in a form slump.
Having been dropped from A-grade halfway through the season, Jackson had been working hard to regain his rhythm with the willow across the past few weeks.
His scores of 16 and 18 in his previous two outings had shown signs of a batting engine sputtering back to life.
Regardless, Jackson would have been feeling the pressure to perform when he lined up his mark at the crease with the Tigers’ snarling bowlers ready to pounce.
The Blues’ first drop took a measured approach to start his innings — his first boundary came after just under 10 overs at the crease.
As Jackson’s innings wore on, his confidence grew from a snowball to an avalanche as the gun batter began to plunder boundaries from the Tigers’ attack.
He struck nine fours on his way to a match-winning 61 runs from 79 deliveries to help his side secure their first-ever B-grade one-day premiership.
After earning best-on-ground honours, Jackson said he was relieved to have made an impact for his side in one of the biggest games of the season.
“It was fantastic; it’s a monkey off the back,” Jackson said.
“I haven’t made a 50 for a couple years now, so it was good, absolutely.
“I felt good in the nets during the week.
“It was a really good batting pitch out there.”
With both a player-of-the-match and a premiership medal already in his back pocket, Jackson said he and Numurkah would now turn the focus to securing the two-day flag as well.
“It was fantastic to win (on Saturday) for a start,” he said.
“We knew (the Tigers) were going to come hard at us early and they did.
“It is just fantastic to win and hopefully we win the two-dayer with any luck.”
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