He may have gone wicketless in the final but there is no doubt Yeoval product and former Western Zone star junior Chris Tremain played a key role in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield triumph.
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The Bushrangers and South Australia drew in the grand final at Alice Spring’s Traeger Park, the match ended on Thursday, but first innings points was all the Victorians needed to seal a third straight Shield title.
South Australia hung on for a gritty draw with a defiant unbeaten 137 from South Australia captain Travis Head saw the Redbacks weather the final day charge from Victoria to reach 6-236 when stumps were called.
Victoria were bowled out on the final morning for 323, leaving South Australia an almost-impossible target of 524 from 69 overs.
The Vics had earlier set up the result with a first innings total of 487 and then South Australia was dismissed for 287 in the first innings, an innings in which spinner Jon Holland claimed 7-82.
"We had a goal at the start of the year to achieve three in a row, something Victoria has never done, so to achieve this is fantastic," Holland, who was named player of the match, said after the win.
Tremain, while wicketless, performed well. He claimed 0/41 from 17 in the first innings, going at just 2.41 an over and providing fine support for spearhead James Pattinson and Holland.
He made 12 batting at number four as a nightwatchmen in the second dig before again taking the new ball and finishing with 0/20 from seven as spinners Holland and Fawad Ahmed took over before stumps was called and Shield glory was ensured.
Tremain finished the season with 42 wickets which saw him third behind South Australia star Chad Sayers (62) and Holland (50).
In a mark of the opening bowler’s consistency, he didn’t take one five-wicket haul all summer but regularly took wickets and his hugely impressive average of 18.97 was marginally better than that of Sayers (19), who many consider an Australian seamer in waiting. Tremain was also his side’s spearhead for a large chunk of the season before James Pattinson’s return from injury.
He also proved himself a reliable tailender. He regularly made handy scores, more so impressive than his stunning 111 late in the season when he was promoted up the order originally as a nightwatchman.
All in all, he was a key cog in the powerful Victorian Bushrangers machine.
"Victoria have been the standout all season with seven wins,” South Australia captain Travis Head said after the final. “They played the conditions really well, so it was always going to be a tough week.”