Vintage Penfold knock seals Rats’ premiership

OAK Flats skipper Kerry Penfold produced a vintage knock to guide his side to triumph in the Illawarra Credit Union South Coast cricket final on the weekend.

Penfold blasted an unbeaten 119 to guide his side to a stirring six-wicket win over Lake Illawarra at Geoff Shaw Oval.

"It doesn't get any better than this, you play for moments like this," Penfold said.

Penfold rated the thrill of belting an unbeaten century in a grand final as up there with any moment he has experienced in cricket.

"We have been training hard, if you look at the results we have been playing well for the past month," he said.

Penfold praised Darren O'Connell and Dellorefice for their role to restricting Lake Illawarra to 9-219 (dec.).

"They took 94 over to get that " Doc tied up one end and Phil was great too," Penfold said.

Lake Illawarra skipper Tony McCabe said the Lakers' second grand final loss in as many years stung.

"Guys like myself and Craig Acton have never one a premiership," he said.

"We were pretty much beaten by Kerry " if we had got him early, it might have been a different story.

"We had a good season and we didn't do much wrong in the final."

Batting first, the Lakers racked up an imposing finals' total of 9-219 (dec.). Sam Constaninou top scored with 52.

A number of the Lakers' bats made handy contributions, including opener Dave Lambert (22), Craig Acton (27), David Crapp (36), Shane Cody (31) and Mark Ulcigrai (26).

O'Connell was the pick of the Oak Flats bowlers, bagging 2-52 off 29 overs, including ten maidens.

Rob Hill bagged 2-29 and Dellorefice 2-62 off 26 overs, while Rob McMahon (1-27) and Michael Atkinson (1-25) also claimed wickets.

The Rats, replied with 4-222, punctuated by Penfold's masterful 119 not out. Hill blasted an unbeaten 63 to help guide his side home. Ulcigrai (2-68) and Tony Panecasio (2-56) were the wicket-takers for Lake Illawarra.