Lake Albert returned to the top of Wagga cricket for the first time in over two decades with a four-wicket win over St Michaels on Sunday.
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One of the state’s oldest cricket tclubs celebrated 125 years this season and capped it off in the best way possible.
Former skipper Kurt Robertson led the way in a man of the match performance.
He took two key wickets at the top of the St Michaels innings before finishing unbeaten on 45.
Robertson brought up the win in style, sending Sam Nicholls’ delivery to the boundary for four.
After three years as the club’s captain, Robertson stepped down from the role this season.
He was thrilled to come away with the win.
“I knew being a senior player that I had to stand up and bat to the end,” Robertson said.
“It was a great team win, we’ve trained really hard all season and it is great to be able to put all the pieces together and get over the line.”
The Bulls failed to make the finals in Robertson’s last year of captaincy and the thought the change in players’ attitude has been the difference this season.
“From where the club has come from this time last year to now is chalk and cheese,” he said.
“The real credit goes to the players and our association.
“I has just been an amazing year and today is just the icing on the cake.”
Captain Rob Nicoll thought Robertson was the right man to lead the Bulls to victory.
“He is such a competitor and whenever there is a contest he’s there,” Nicoll said.
“You look for blokes like that in your team.
“Blokes in other sides in other competitions go missing when it gets tough but he is in the thick of it every single time.
“He is a big game player.”
More than half the team was not alive when Lake Albert last won the first grade premiership in the 1989-90 season.
Others such as Danny Webber and Scott Billington finally broke through for a Bulls premiership after more than 15 years with the club.
Among the younger generation to stand up was Matthew Tom.
After a half century in the preliminary final win over Wagga City, he scored 52 against the Saints on Sunday.
Nicoll said it was a reward for the hard work he’d put in.
“The last three or four weeks he has been outstanding,” Nicoll said.
