C Grade are 1D Premiers

Warwick Greenwood’s C Grade capped a terrific one day campaign with a gritty Grand Final win over Wanneroo at Edgar Griffiths on Sunday 1 February, defending 130 to bowl Wanneroo out for 103 in 38.1 overs. In a match that demanded patience, discipline and composure, WGCC found match winning contributions across the board: a vital innings from Evan Hewitt, a suffocating spell from Scott Hazebroek, and calm leadership from captain Joshua Veroni, who also chipped in with a key wicket when the game was still in the balance.

A testing start after losing the toss

Wanneroo won the toss and made the most of the very warm conditions by bowling first. Warwick Greenwood’s start was stuttering. Nathan Adler was removed early, and by the time Kasey Bond and Jake Green departed in quick succession, the scoreboard read 3 for 12. It was exactly the sort of opening that can make teams panic, but WGCC’s response was the opposite. Rather than chasing the game too early, the middle order set about stabilising and building a platform, knowing that one meaningful partnership could drag the total into a defendable range.

Ben Fowler and Evan Hewitt took on the responsibility of absorbing pressure. Fowler’s innings was about time in the middle, occupying the crease and trying to settle a side that had been rattled. While the scoring rate was never going to fly on a surface that demanded hard work, the priority was to ensure the innings did not collapse. That approach worked. Fowler helped drag the score to 37 before falling as the fourth wicket, but crucially, the damage was contained and Warwick Greenwood were still in the contest.

Hewitt anchors, the tail adds the polish

From there, the innings belonged to Evan Hewitt. Early in his knock, Hewitt was given a significant reprieve. On 10, he should have been run out, only for Oscar Thompson to fumble the stumps in a moment that would later loom large over the contest. In Grand Finals, margins are thin, and this was one of them. From that point on, Hewitt made Wanneroo pay. In a match where runs were clearly going to be valuable, Hewitt produced the sort of calm, determined knock that wins Grand Finals. His 49 off 75 balls, with four boundaries, was both the highest score of the innings and the innings spine. He worked the ball into gaps, took the singles that were on offer, and punished anything loose enough to release the pressure.

The wickets continued to fall around him, which only underlined how important his knock was. James Cuthbertson battled for 7 off 33, and while the strike rate was modest, his time at the crease further helped ensure Wanneroo never got the burst of wickets that would have ended the innings early. Nathan Torre and James Hamilton both tried to contribute, and when Hewitt finally fell at 102, Warwick Greenwood still had a job to do: push the total from “maybe” into “defendable”.

That push came through smart running, hard work, and a late cameo that mattered. Joshua Veroni, not out 7 off 7, and Anthony Benedetti, not out 4 off 4 including a boundary, ensured WGCC used the final overs well. It is easy to overlook a handful of late runs, but in a Grand Final where the winning margin was 27, that finishing detail was crucial. Warwick Greenwood closed on 9 for 130 from their 40 overs, with 19 extras also playing a significant role, a reminder that disciplined batting and forcing bowlers to make errors can be just as valuable as boundaries.

Early breakthroughs set the tone

With 130 on the board, the message was clear: keep Wanneroo under pressure and make them earn every run. Warwick Greenwood did exactly that from the outset.

Mitchell Cameron produced the perfect start, removing Ronan Van Elswyk for 1 after 13 balls. It was an early breakthrough that lifted the energy and confirmed what everyone could sense: thus game was very much in the balance even with an under-par score. Nathan Torre backed that up by removing Louis Klemm for 12, leaving Wanneroo 2 for 29 and requiring their middle order to rebuild carefully.

Wanneroo’s key resistance came through Cameron Demiris, who top scored with 36 off 77 balls, and briefly, Charlie Klemm, who made 12 off 23. But Warwick Greenwood’s bowling was disciplined enough that even this partnership never felt comfortable. Every over felt like a contest, and the required rate pressure slowly tightened.

Hazebroek’s spell swings the Grand Final

If there was a defining phase of the match, it was the spell from Scott Hazebroek. In a one day final, an economy rate of 1.25 across 8 overs is the kind of control that breaks chasing sides. Hazebroek took 2 for 10, including the wicket of Demiris at a critical time, and his five maidens were more than just dots on a scorecard. They were momentum killers. With every tight over, the target felt further away and the pressure on Wanneroo’s batters grew.

James Cuthbertson also made a crucial impact, trapping Jesse Haddrill lbw for 2, a wicket that removed another potential anchor and kept Wanneroo’s chase on a knife edge. Then came a key moment from the captain. Joshua Veroni, who had already guided the innings late, struck with the ball too, bowling Oscar Thompson for 6. It was a timely wicket that halted any hope of a late acceleration and kept the chase under firm control.

Calm finishing under pressure

Wanneroo’s lower order attempted to scrap their way close, but Warwick Greenwood never allowed the game to drift. Torre returned to take Kyle Faulks for 12 and later played a role in the closing sequence, while Cameron finished with 2 for 12 from 7.1 overs, closing the match with Dhani Brown caught by Nathan Adler for 2. The final wicket falling at 103 in the 38th over was the fitting end to a performance built on consistent pressure.

There were also two run outs in the innings, including one at a key point late, which highlighted Warwick Greenwood’s sharpness in the field. In big games, teams often talk about “winning the small moments”. WGCC did exactly that. They hit stumps, they squeezed singles, they made batters take risks, and they did not let the match open up.

A complete team win

Warwick Greenwood will take enormous pride from this Grand Final because it was not won through one spell or one big innings alone. It was a complete team performance: Hewitt’s anchor runs, a disciplined and varied bowling effort led by Hazebroek, early strikes from Cameron and Torre, and steady leadership from Veroni. Hewitt was awarded Man of the Match for his 49 in tough conditions. On a day where nothing came easy, WGCC were tougher, more patient, and more consistent for longer, and that is why the premiership is heading back to Warwick Greenwood.