Papine break 20 year Spaulding Cup drought for Corporate Area teams

Papine High became the first urban area school to lift the ISSA Spaulding Cup cricket title in 20 years, after beating 2016 winners St Elizabeth Technical by an innings and 22 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Club on Wednesday.

Resuming from their overnight 56-4, STETHS were dismissed for 106 with Xavier Burton 41 and captain Michael Frew 17, getting most runs. Rushan Lee once again came up big for Papine with the ball bagging 4-23 to end with 9 wickets in the game.

Papine High's coach Shane Brooks who was captain of Kingston College when they won in 1997, says the more experienced side came out on top.

“This group of guys has been playing cricket non-stop for three years so they have developed the experience over these years; so I know that these guys would stand up to the challenge of a STETHS team,” said Brooks.

STETHS has been the most successful Spaulding Cup play-off team and while disappointed, their coach Clive Ledgister sees how his side's defeat could benefit the game.

“What STETHS has done over the years (winning multiple titles) had taken away a lot of confidence from many schools so for Papine to come and win the Spaulding Cup in their first final basically puts back a lot of confidence in corporate area cricket,” noted Ledgister. Scores in the game: STETHS - 71 & 106 all out, Papine High 199 all out.