Mostly Useless Stats: The numbers and history that may (or may not) shape this weekend’s BDCA grand final

If this weekend’s grand final feels like something you might have seen before. It probably is. Colts and Eaton have already met four times in Bunbury and Districts Cricket Association premiership deciders — and they have all come in the past eight seasons. What Colts captain Josh Topliss described as a “healthy rivalry” between the two clubs began in 2014, when they met in a grand final for the first time. An Eaton side that included Arron Quartermaine, Steve Barron and James Hillery, who are all likely to play this weekend, fell short of a Colts team that included current captain Josh Topliss, Cruize Ciallella, Murray Goodwin and now Eaton captain Clayton Caltsounis. Topliss told the South Western Times this week his group is “as hungry as ever”, and the bustling right-arm quick has seen it all before. The second-year captain is a six-time premiership player and his accomplice and former captain Ciallella has seven to his name. The next time they would meet was 2017, when 50s to Hillery and Quartermaine were the foundation for a first innings Saturday score which would end up winning the Bobtails their first flag. The following year, an Eaton side which now included Caltsounis were rolled for 128 at the start of day two and beaten by Colts. It is a loss that still burns with their group, with Caltsounis admitting back-to-back premierships are still the missing piece in the club’s history. That Eaton team featured six players — Caltsounis, Barron, Quartermaine, Hillery, Troy Lewis and Stuart Clark — that could all line up again on Saturday. Their opponents had just four — Topliss, Ciallella, Riley Miguel and Goodwin. The most recent grand final meeting between the two sides was the only one at the Bunbury Recreation Ground, with Colts winning another premiership thanks to a second innings score of 222. Topliss said playing at the Eaton Sports Ground holds no concerns for his side, given of his six, only the 2018/19 premiership was won at home. But they are experiencing a drought of sorts at the venue, having not won their since the 2019 semifinal. The two teams have mostly avoided each other this year, with a wash-out before Christmas keeping them apart before their third and final meeting fell victim to the COVID-19 fixture adjustment.