5th Grade – Grand Final Recap
Broadbeach Blue produced a dominant display in the Grand Final at North Oval, storming to a 135-run victory over Southport Labrador to claim the 5th Grade Premiership.
Batting first, the Cats unleashed a batting onslaught, piling up 270 in just 34.1 overs. Darren McNaughton (72 off 47 balls) was the star, blasting five fours and six sixes in a match-defining innings. He was backed up by Mitchell Futcher (47 off 31) and Jason Raffin (38 off 24), who kept the scoreboard racing with aggressive strokeplay. Lower-order cameos from Cameron Gallagher (20 off 10) and Jeff Walker (14 off 8) ensured the total ballooned past 250, setting Southport an almost impossible chase.
With the ball, Broady were just as ruthless, rolling Southport for 135 in 23.1 overs. Cameron Gallagher (3/42) and Dylan Redden (3/19) led the charge, while Mark King (2/31) and Peter Jones (2/23) kept the pressure on. The fielding backed them up brilliantly, with Darren McNaughton holding three catches to complete his standout all-round performance.
The win capped off a near-perfect season for Broadbeach Blue, who finished 1st on the ladder with 15 wins and just 1 loss. Key contributors across the campaign included Darren McNaughton (488 runs at 34.86, 6th in the league), Matt Abrahams (479 runs at 29.94, 7th), Cameron Gallagher (30 wickets at 15.23, 4th), and Mark King (23 wickets at 14.52, 8th).
It was a season defined by power hitting, disciplined bowling, and consistency across the squad — and the Grand Final performance showed exactly why Broadbeach Blue were crowned 5th Grade Premiers.