And Russells Creek bowler Liam Boyle didn't miss his chance to introduce West Indies seamer Sheldon Cottrell's elaborate trademark celebration - a tribute to his time in the Jamaica Defence Force - to Merrivale Oval. 

Russells Creek's division two side scraped together a modest total of 126 runs after most of the side's top order failed to fire against Koroit in the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association semi-final. 

Josh Campbell (32), Jordan Fish (22) and Adam Doak (21) pitched in to drag the Creekers into triple figures, with Bailen McDonald (3-27) the pick of the Saints' bowlers. 

But Koroit would endure the same problem, with Jack O'Sullivan (21) the only top order bat to have any impact on the scoreboard, as the Saints slumped to 7-62 just before tea under menacing pressure from Adam Doak, who took 5-29 off his 28 overs. 

Tom Lynch, who played the majority of his season with Koroit's division three side, then took matters into his own hands, carving out a dour 41 runs from 132 balls as the Saints limped closer to an unlikely victory. 

Lynch and tail-ender Tom Sinnott, who made a plucky 13 off 42 balls, mustered a vital partnership of 34 runs knowing time was on their side - the pair at one point took 10 overs to produce a handful of runs. 

But with Doak and Glenn Moore (2-27) striking again, the Saints' grand final ticket was hanging by a thread, the underdogs needing 13 runs with just one wicket in hand. 

Doak was finished after the what would be the penultimate over, with cramps finally getting the better of the Creeker's danger man, leaving Boyle to have a crack at Saints youngster Seamus Brady to win the game.

And when Allan Blackburn put his finger up to confirm Brady was out lbw on the third ball of the 69^th over, Boyle re-enacted Cottrell's famous military-style march and salute, to the adulation of his teammates on the field and division one and three comrades on the sidelines. 

Creekers skipper Eddie Wallace said it all started earlier in the week when Boyle's teammates began tagging him in Sheldon Cottrell videos on Facebook. 

Wallace said Boyle enjoyed two dress rehearsals of the salute on Saturday when he celebrated hitting a six in the afternoon, before performing it again after dismissing Saints skipper Pat Sinnott that night. 

"Liam really sets the tone and culture of the side, so it was a perfect finish to have him get that last wicket," Wallace told The Standard.

"It was a nerve-racking part of the game and a good release for him.

"We've had some good battles with Koroit over the last few years, so it was good to get the chocolates.

"But full credit to Tom Lynch - he settled his nerves and batted really well to nearly steal it."

Brierly-Christ Church skipper Mark Murphy was born into the club. 

His father, Mick Murphy, is a Bulls legend, having been a club president and former head coach. 

And Murphy, now 26, still remembers scrounging around for the smallest available pads as an 11-year-old to fill in for Brierly-Christ Church's under 17s side against Port Fairy. 

It was round two of the 2002-03 season and neither he nor his side had much luck - the youngster was bowled for a duck by Nino Bucci while the Bulls were dismissed for 74 runs. 

But Murphy would go on to taste premiership glory in 2008 when Brierly-Christ Church's under 17 side, coached by his father and Alan Goldsworthy, defeated Wesley-CBC by 18 runs.

And now coach-captain of the senior side, Murphy has the chance this weekend to lead the Bulls to their first ever division one flag, with his old man ready to chime in with a few pearls of wisdom when consulted.

"He's always around the boundary with a few suggestions," Murphy said.

"And especially in tighter games it's handy to have a cooler head around."

Murphy said despite the opportunity in front of him, he wasn't overwhelmed by the pressure of winning the club's maiden premiership - or coming up against reigning premiers Russells Creek.

Partly because he feels the Bulls already got the monkey off their back by winning the WDCA's twenty20 grand final before going on to defeat Hamilton and claim the regional Sungold Cup. 

But there's another, much simpler reason. "We just love getting on the field and playing together," he said. 

It wasn't the result Mortlake was looking for on Saturday, with the reigning premiers crashing out against Pomborneit to lose the 2018-19 South West Cricket Association grand final by five wickets. 

But the Mortlake faithful did have something to smile about, with homegrown star Georgia Wareham making an appearance at S.A Wright Oval to cheer on the Cats. 

Mortlake president Simon Ritchie said it was "fantastic" to catch up with the 19-year-old Australian women's cricket team spinner. 

"The club couldn't be any prouder of what she's done," he said.

"We all look up to her and especially for the junior girls coming through - it just shows a dream can come true."

Ritchie fondly recalls watching Wareham and the Australians defeat England by eight wickets in Antigua to claim the World T20 title for the fourth time in 2018.

More than 50 people packed into the club room, he said, and would cheer every time she touched the ball, before going wild when she famously produced a direct-hit run-out to dismiss the dangerous Amy Jones in the fifth over. 

Wareham last played for the Cats' division one side as a 16-year-old in the 2016-17 season, when Mortlake defeated Terang in the grand final. 

"Once she finishes in the big league she'll always be welcome to have one last spell with us," Ritchie said. 

Wareham will be back in the south-west on Monday to lead the final session of the WDCA's after school program for girls, running from 4.30 to 6pm at Mack Oval.