Barwon Heads will be back in the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association’s top grade next season after convincingly defeating Drysdale in the final at Collendina on March 18 and 19.
The Seagulls earned promotion to A1 Grade with a powerhouse performance in the final, led by Sam Schaller.
Schaller made 42 in Barwon Heads’ total of 273 and then took 6/45 from 23.1 overs in a stunning player of the match performance.
Ben Harris made a superb 89 and Charlie Hurst played well for 58 as the Heads built a large total in stifling conditions on Saturday.
Harris and Hurst laid the foundations for the big score with a 134-run third-wicket partnership after the Seagulls lost both openers cheaply.
Schaller then put the finishing touches on the innings to ensure that Barwon Heads had a sizeable total to defend on Sunday.
Drysdale seamer Blake Dobbin was absolutely superb in the heat, bowling 16 overs and taking 7/49 in a lion hearted effort.
Slow bowler Ben Spencer did a lot of the hard work with 2/83 from 20.5 overs.
Drysdale’s run chase started disastrously and at one stage was 5/31 and the game was all but over.
Dobbin and Cameron Chisholm gave the Hawks the slightest of hopes with a defiant 64-run eighth-wicket partnership, but they would finish all out for 144 in the 56th over.
Dobbin couldn’t have done any more for his side with a well-made 45 from 66 deliveries and Chisholm dug in and refused to surrender his wicket with 38 from 132.
It was Schaller who took the bowling honours with 6/45 – the left-arm spinner returned to the club after a short absence and made his presence felt in a big-game situation.
Darcy Hewitt snared two wickets while teenager Taj Don and veteran Matt High each picked up one.
