Gallery | Old Students’ D-grade delight

Tatura’s decision appeared correct as it restricted Students to 4-57 after 18 overs.

But from there it was the Jason Wild show.

The talented Students batter struck a commanding 73 not out from 63 balls in an innings that included eight fours and one six.

Wild was given the man-of-the-match award for his performance, an accolade that acted as the cherry on top of the cake after Wild’s outstanding 2023-24 D-grade season for Students.

The star batter finished the competition with 585 runs, two centuries, four 50s and the batting average award for the D-grade league from Cricket Shepparton.

Old Students captain Ryan Boswell was full of praise for Wild, labelling him as a captain’s dream.

“It was a fantastic season from ‘Wildy’,” Boswell said.

“He won our club player of the finals and is just a fantastic guy to have come in at five and six stay for that bottom half of the innings. He has just been sensational all year.

“As a captain, it’s great to have a guy like Wildy on your side.”

Students finished their innings on 7-166, with Tatura’s James Collett the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2-31 from his eight overs.

In reply, Tatura’s opening batters got off to a bright start, with Nathan Baldwin making 11 runs from 13 balls, while Paul Mahoney top-scored for his side with 57 off 82 (six fours).

Unfortunately for Tatura, those were its two highest scores as the middle order struggled to make an impact, eventually being bowled out for 105.

Old Students opening bowler Jacob Kinnane starred with ball in hand, taking four decisive wickets to finish the innings with 4-32 from eight overs.

Kinnane ended the season with the most wickets out of any bowler in D-grade (after finals) with 29, and his captain couldn’t be more proud of his efforts.

“Jacob bowled fantastic,” Boswell said.

“He won the leading wickets for our club and he was in the D-grade Team of the Year.

“He has had a fantastic season and, to take four yesterday, he ended up breaking that middle order open and allowed the other bowlers to come in and clean up the game.

“It was a fantastic spell.”

While some players for Students may have produced individual brilliance during the game, Boswell quickly recognised that the grand final victory was due to a strong all-round performance from the team.

“I thought we batted really well as a team,” he said.

“It was just the continued little partnerships along the way that got us up to 160.

“I think in a final, you don’t want to be overconfident, but you’re pretty confident when you have got good runs like that on the board and a good bowling attack.

“I thought as long as we bowled and fielded well, which we did, the result would take care of itself.

“It capped off a really good year for our team after winning the (Lower-grade) T20 comp; it was good to put the second trophy in the cabinet, as they say, and a great team effort.”