BDCA finals: High-profile Colts recruit Bevan Bennell saves ‘best for last’ in gritty grand final half-century

A decade-long bid to get star country cricketer Bevan Bennell to the club has ended in premiership glory for Colts, and the big-hitting gun finished the year with a personal accolade of his own. Bennell signed with the powerhouse Bunbury club at the start of the season after a stint with Eastern Goldfields club Great Boulder. And while the prized recruit had passed 50 only once for his new club, and finished with his lowest batting average since 2018, it was his patient and composed half-century on the second day of the grand final that saw Colts to a flag. He was the best on ground, beating fellow high-profile recruit Julian Crudeli to the award, after his blistering first spell on day two nearly set Eaton up for victory. After a rare duck on the first day, Bennell found himself at the crease with the score at 3-28. An inspired decision to slide him down the batting order to protect him from the lethal spell of Crudeli, made for a more comfortable start, and he would go on to bat for nearly two hours. Passing 50 by slashing a cut shot forward of square, Bennell raised his bat to teammates, before punching the Colts badge above his heart. Colts skipper Josh Topliss said the innings, the highlight of which was a one-handed six over cover off Jacob Wintle, was Bennell’s best work so far in black and gold. “By his own standards he hasn’t had the year he probably would have loved to have, getting used to the new club and adjusting to some of the wickets,” he said. “That knock on Sunday, he saved his best for last. “He really dug deep for the boys and showed how much it meant to him as well as a first year player to the club.” Eventually run out for 54 by Crudeli, with whom he exchanged blows across the weekend, Bennell had almost taken Colts to the line, before Cruize Ciallella, Luke McPherson and a brief cameo from Topliss saw them to victory.