North Kalgoorlie planning special premierships reunion

North Kalgoorlie members are planning a special reunion later this year in Perth to celebrate the club’s most successful era in the Eastern Goldfields Cricket Association.

Scheduled for late September or early October at Ascot racecourse, it will celebrate Norths’ hat-trick of A-grade premierships (2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09) and four successive B-grade flags (2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09; 2009-10).

Norths’ triumph over Great Boulder by five wickets in the 2008-09 A-grade final confirmed their standing as the EGCA’s most dominant club of the decade with five of the 10 flags.

English recruit Matt Muchall played a major role with bat and ball to win the Cranston Medal after he inspired Norths’ effort in the field with a four-wicket haul.

He then went in as a night watchman two overs before stumps on day one as Norths stuttered at 2-62.

Muchall compiled 38 before he was bowled, and Mitch Brennan top-scored with 39 when he occupied the crease for 69 overs.

Two year earlier in the A-grade decider, Norths won by five wickets against Hannans when leg-spinner Craig Fritchley grabbed six wickets on the first day and battled through a hamstring injury on the second to make 31 and earn the Cranston Medal.

In the 2007-08 grand final, also against Hannans, Fritchley snared 4-21 off 10 overs to win his second consecutive Cranston Medal that iced Norths’ 60th anniversary season with back-to-back premierships for the first time in 17 years.

The last of Norths’ historic four consecutive B-grade premierships featured a 94-run victory over Hannans in the 2009-10 grand final.

Lui Camporeale captained the team and Matt Ralph won the Bob Turner Medal as best afield.

Meanwhile, EGCA chairman James Trail confirmed on Monday that Lake View and Hannans would clash in the Twenty20 grand final on March 10 after last Sunday’s third round of qualifiers was rained out.

“It is what it is,” Trail said.

“But at the end of the day, that’s why you have a system and the higher-ranked teams get rewarded.

“That’s what has happened here (and) there was no debate.”

The last round of regular-season qualifiers will be played on March 9 when Lake View clash with Norths and Hannans take on Great Boulder.

As major works continue on the playing surface at Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex, Trail welcomed last weekend’s rain but he said plans to host the finals at Wallace Park remained in place.