Special reunions to celebrate golden era for North Kalgoorlie in local turf cricket

North Kalgoorlie members will celebrate nearly two decades of resounding success in the Eastern Goldfields Cricket Association with a three-pronged premiership reunion in Perth at Saturday’s Ascot race meeting.

Being celebrated are Norths’ hat-trick of A-grade premierships (2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09) and four successive B-grade flags (2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09; 2009-10).

Added to the program is a reunion of the club’s 2013-14 A-grade flag.

Norths’ triumph over Great Boulder by five wickets in the 2008-09 A-grade final confirmed their standing as the EGCA’s most dominant club of the decade, with five of the 10 flags.

English recruit Matt Muchall played a major role with bat and ball to win the Cranston Medal after he inspired Norths’ effort in the field with a four-wicket haul.

He then went in as a night watchman two overs before stumps on day one as Norths stuttered at 2-62.

Muchall compiled 38 before he was bowled, and Mitch Brennan top-scored with 39 when he occupied the crease for 69 overs.

Two years earlier in the A-grade decider, Norths won by five wickets against Hannans when leg-spinner Craig Fritchley grabbed six wickets on the first day and battled through a hamstring injury on the second to make 31 and earn the Cranston Medal.

In the 2007-08 grand final, also against Hannans, Fritchley snared 4-21 off 10 overs to win his second consecutive Cranston Medal that iced Norths’ 60th anniversary season with back-to-back premierships for the first time in 17 years.

The last of Norths’ historic four consecutive B-grade premierships featured a 94-run victory over Hannans in the 2009-10 grand final.

Lui Camporeale captained the team and Matt Ralph won the Bob Turner Medal as best afield.

Norths were captained by Nick Willis when they completed a hard-earned victory over Great Boulder in the 2013-14 A-grade decider.

On the back of a pivotal knock from No.8 batter Craig Mitchell, which earned him the Cranston Medal as best afield, Norths compiled 6-167 in 49 overs to seal the win.

Great Boulder had earlier rounded out their 50 overs at 8-165 after initially moving to 1-43.

But the departure of Daniel Campo (23) unsettled the Two Blues, who lost their next three wickets for the addition of just 38 runs.

Campo’s opening partner Matt Cannan went on to top score with 43, with veteran Todd Altus (25) and Jack Martin (26 not out) playing decent support roles.

After years of generally lop-sided finals, Norths — the minor premiers and odds-on favourites after dominating the qualifying series — were made to work especially hard before the strokeplay of Mitchell and James Brennan saw them home.

Willis at the time said the EGCA’s decision to stray away from tradition and play the grand final under a strictly one-day format was well received.