Finals

2008/09 VB PREMIER FINALS

1ST XI -
Fri 27, Sat 28, Sun 29 March (Res Mon 30 March)
RINGWOOD v CARLTON at Melbourne Uni
Umpires: Bob Parry & Paul Reiffel (Emerg: JohnWard)

2ND XI -
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March
RINGWOOD v MELBOURNE at Princes Park #1 Oval, Carlton
Umpires: Ken Hatherley & Sam Sciacca (Emerg: Peter Cornford)

3RD XI -
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March
CAMBERWELL MAGPIES v ESSENDON at Toorak Park, Prahran
Umpires: Dean Jones & Alistair Thomas (Emerg: Dale Ireland)

4TH XI -
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March
FRANKSTON PENINSULA v MELBOURNE at Camberwell Sports Ground
Umpires: Mark Campbell & Luke McKay (Emerg: Matt Nimmervoll)

Hours of Play - All XIs
11am - 5.50pm Lunch 1pm - 1.30pm, tea 3.30 - 3.50pm.

Playing Conditions - 1st XIs
Ordinary conditions 3-day match (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Should a first innings result not be attained by stumps on Sunday, play will continue on Monday. If a first innings result is still not attained by stumps on Monday, the match shall be declared a draw and the higher ranked team will be declared the premiers. Minimum 100 overs per day. A new ball is available after 80 overs.

Playing Conditions - 2nd, 3rd & 4th XIs
In an uninterrupted match, the innings of the first batting team is restricted to 110 overs. Should a first innings result not be attained by stumps on Sunday, the match shall be declared a draw and the higher ranked team will be declared the premiers. Minimum 100 overs per day. A new ball is available after 80 overs.

RAMS V BLUES

RINGWOOD and CARLTON face-off for the first time in a Premier Final at Melbourne University commencing on Friday. The Rams and the Blues have occupied the top two positions on the ladder for most of the season and each deserves the right to play off for the title.

The contrasting manner in which they won their Semi Finals last weekend was noteworthy. At the end of the first day, it looked as if a PRAHRAN v FITZROY DONCASTER may well be on the cards. RINGWOOD, although recovering from a potentially disastrous 4/11 to post a competitive 277, required a big first session on day two as PRAHRAN resumed on 1/44. PRAHRAN had safely negotiated an awkward 16-over session at the end of the first day and, with 100 overs available to score the required 234 on an excellent batting track, PRAHRAN had its nose slightly in front.

However the Rams' attack, led by Steven Gilmour and Michael King, certainly delivered on the second day and, incredibly, the match was over before lunch, with PRAHRAN bowled out for just 114.

In the other Semi Final, FITZROY DONCASTER, with skipper Peter Dickson leading from the front, racked up 8/349 by the close on day one. This was increased to 379 with the additional seven overs on Sunday morning. In reply, at 3/37, CARLTON was at very long odds, but superb unbeaten centuries from Evan Gulbis and Tim Welsford saw the Blues home with a club record sixth-wicket partnership and almost eight overs to spare.

It is going to be a terrific Premier Final, with not much between the two sides in their performances this season. Although the perception is that RINGWOOD's strength is its bowling attack, the Rams'bowling average of 22.65 runs per wicket is slightly inferior to CARLTON's 22.10, as are its batting averages (RINGWOOD 27.74 rpw to CARLTON 29.07 rpw).

Key players for RINGWOOD are likely to be Michael King, the equal leading wicket-taker in Premier Cricket with the Heat's James Miller on 42 and Steve Gilmour is just two behind. Tom Stray, David King, BrendanWalsh, Ben Osborne and skipper Sean Flynn, in his last Premier match, will shoulder the responsibility of scoring the runs for the Rams.

CARLTON's attack is headed by Andrew Dickinson, Nick Austin, Tim Welsford and Jon Holland. Its powerfulbatting line-up comprises Evan Gulbis, with four centuries for the season, Nathan Pilon, Michael Sheedy, Tim Ludeman andWelsford, whose welcome return to form in the Semi Final was timed to perfection for his team.

It will be RINGWOOD's second successive appearance in the Premier Final, having broken through for its first flag last season and, although CARLTON has won eight premierships, its last was in 1980/81. It will be the Blues' first appearance in a Final since 1984/85, when they were runners-up to the Saints.

RINGWOOD	2008/09 DETAILS	CARLTON
First	POSITION FINISHED	Third
27.74	RPW FOR	29.07
22.65	RPW AGAINST	22.10
8/337 v H-MU at Ringwood	HIGHEST TEAM SCORE	5/381 v F-Donc at Donc (SF)
161 v St Kilda at St Kilda	LOWEST TEAM SCORE	157 v Prahran at Carlton (ODSF)
127 TD Stray v Prah at Ring (SF)	HIGHEST IND. INNS 163*	163* EP Gulbis v F-D at Donc (SF)
6/41 ST Gilmour v HMU at Ring	BEST IND. BOWLING	5/36 JM Holland v C-SM at Carl
615 TD Stray	LEADING RUNSCORER	746 EP Gulbis
42 MR King	LEADING WICKET-TAKER	33 AJ Dickinson

THE FORM IN 2008/09

ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	ODSF	14	15	QF	SF
RINGWOOD	4	4	5	5	L	6	D	6	D	5	L	10	D	L	6	L	D	W
CARLTON	L	5	L	4	5	6	D	L	D	5	5	6	6	L	6	L	A	W

A LOOK BACK

10 YEARS AGO - 1998/99
Finals Sat 03, Sun 04 & Mon 05 April 1999
5/18 AWG Huntington Haw-Wav v Melb Uni at Albert Ground
5/46 DB Scott Haw-Wav v Melb Uni at Albert Ground

20 YEARS AGO - 1988/89
Final Fri 24, Sat 25 & Sun 26 March 1989
110 MC Hooper Melbourne v Collingwood at St Kilda

50 YEARS AGO - 1958/59
Final Sat 28, Mon 30 March & Sat 04 April 1959
6/67 IHW Jones Melbourne v St Kilda at the Albert Ground
6/82 NW Lynch St Kilda v Melbourne at the Albert Ground
5/43 LF Kline Melbourne v St Kilda at the Albert Ground

DOWNLOADS

Rams v Blues (117.53 KB )	Leading Players (95.74 KB )
Memorable Matches (66.29 KB )	Outstanding Performances (243.58 KB )
Finals Records & Trivia (127.26 KB )	Ladders (64.85 KB )