Mangrove Cricket Club ends dry-spell with double premiership glory

The Mangrove Cricket Club broke a 15-year dry spell in style at the weekend, defeating the Dirty Dozen to claim the 2024 Broome Cricket Association A-grade trophy. Winning the toss, Mangrove opted to bat first but faced an early setback when Dirty Dozen’s Angus Boult Lyne removed Mangrove opener Glen Hickinbotham for just four runs in the opening over. Mangrove’s Daniel Moore and Tom Chapman provided some stability, contributing nine and 12 runs, respectively, before falling to Dirty Dozen’s Andrew Blackley who delivered a solid bowling performance, finishing with figures of 2-25. The game turned in Mangrove’s favour as Michael Bailey took charge with a blistering 45 runs, including three sixes and three fours. Supported by Daniel Huntley, who added 18 runs by hitting a six and a four, the middle order propelled Mangrove to a strong position. Bailey’s knock ended with Dirty Dozen’s Andrew Korol claiming his wicket, while Huntley was dismissed by Casey Zepnick. The momentum continued with Mangrove’s skipper Jarrad Bracknell and Farley Murton adding crucial late runs to push Mangrove’s total to an imposing 5-142. In reply, the Dirty Dozen got off to a promising start with Scott Howieson and Riley Forde opening the batting. However, Mangrove’s Darcy Cruttenden dismissed Forde for five, and Howieson and Zepnick put up a fight before the Mangrove fielders and bowlers tightened their grip on the game. A brilliant run-out by Hickinbotham dismissed Zepnick, and Korol’s valiant 35 runs weren’t enough to steer the Dozen to victory. Tight bowling from Mangrove’s Daniel Moore and solid fielding restricted the Dirty Dozen to 8-113, handing Mangrove a well-deserved victory and the 2024 A-grade title. Mangrove’s success extended to the B-grade final, where they dominated the Pearlers with 2-51 to 10-48, securing the 2024 premiership. Batting first, the Pearlers started steadily, with Jay Hill and Christopher Bull reaching 0-20 after four overs. However, the tide turned quickly when Mangrove’s Joseph Ghandour delivered a double blow, dismissing both openers in consecutive overs. Hill scored eight runs and Bull managed 14 before falling. Ghandour finished with stellar figures of 3-21, including the wicket of Kevin Wakefield. The Pearlers’ batting line-up crumbled against disciplined bowling from Mangrove, with Moshy Moschion the only other batter to show resistance, scoring nine runs. The Pearlers were bundled out for a mere 48 runs, thanks to standout performances from Manrgove’s Matt Wynn, Fletcher Ghandour and Melinda Knox. Chasing 49 runs for victory, Mangrove’s Matt Wynn led the way with a quickfire 22 before being dismissed by Hill, who also claimed Edmund Connor’s wicket to finish with 2-4. Glen Chidlow and Jake Coles guided Mangrove to a comfortable win, cementing their status as the 2024 B-Grade premiers for the first time since 2018.