Numurkah Leader
Numurkah wins back-to-back flags
1 min read

NUMURKAH has won the Haisman Shield 2019/20 premiership without raising a bat, or bowling a ball, after Cricket Shepparton ruled to call off this weekend's grand final due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Unfortunately for the club's B grade side, the rule that saw A grade win means that the B grade side suffered the opposite fate, Katandra out taking the Clyde Young Shield.

The Blues finished the season on top of the ladder, but lost to Nagambie in the first final. Cricket rules say that, in the event of a game being called off, the higher placed team takes the win.

Cricket followers right throughout the area were not sure which team would be regarded as the winner, due to Nagambie's qualifying final win, but the by-laws say that the team that finished higher on the ladder in the home and away season would win.

Club president Brad Naughton attended a Cricket Shepparton executive meeting at 5.30pm tonight (Tuesday), where they voted to either give Numurkah the win, or abandon the season. The vote went to follow the by-laws, and award premierships in all grades.

Naughton said it was a clear cut rule, that benefitted his club's A grade side, but unfortunately meant the B graders missed out on a chance of victory.

Naughton said it was a strange feeling for his players.

"It's a strange feeling, it still hasn't sunk in. I'm disappointed for the B graders, but by Thursday, after they've had a think about it, I guess they'll come to terms with it.

"In the end, the best sides in the comp have won." 

A grade captain Liam Gledhill said, regardless of the outcome, his players all wanted to  take to the field on Saturday, and win on their merits.

"It feels a bit hollow really, we don't know how to feel," Gledhill said.

"Frankly, I think we're in shock."

"It feels so totally different to last season's win, but I guess, after a few days, it will sink in, and we will celebrate our season as a whole next weekend."