A disappointed Katandra president Andrew Nicholls is trying to take the good with the bad in Cricket Shepparton's decision to cancel all grand final matches this weekend.
The Eagles were awarded the Clyde Young Shield on Tuesday night despite a ball being bowled in the final against Numurkah.
With the ongoing threat of coronavirus and following Cricket Australia's recommendation that all community cricket be cancelled, Cricket Shepparton's executive voted to cancel the finals.
As per rule 37.2 (c) in the CS handbook, Katandra was handed the B-grade shield due to finishing the season higher on the ladder than Numurkah.
“Obviously we are disappointed that we are unable to play this weekend and have the chance to play Numurkah for the shield,” Nicholls said.
“But the safety of players and officials is the number one concern and we totally understand Cricket Shepparton's decision.
“While it's not under the best circumstances, we are looking at it (premiership) as a reward for a lot of hard work over recent years to get our B-grade side to where it is now.
“Our last B-grade premiership was 41 years ago, so it has been a long-time coming.”
Nicholls, a member of the B-grade outfit, said his teammates would have loved to have been able to play this weekend.
“We really would have loved the opportunity to play, but these are uncharted waters,” he said.
“Cricket Shepparton have done a fantastic job, they have gone about it professionally and I can't imagine it would have been an easy choice for them.
“I really do feel for a lot of people, especially Nagambie and Luke Nolan. Luke was a member of our club for a number of years and I can only imagine how much they would be hurting.”
With the premiership result locked in, Nicholls had the chance to look back on the season.
The Eagles finished the season in third position and earned passage through to the grand final after knocking off minor premier Shepparton United in the semi-final.
On top of that, Nicholls was awarded the Young Family Medal on Monday as the best player in B-grade.
The Katandra president said he was proud of the side's achievement this summer and that the premiership would mean a lot to many at the club.
“I'm super proud of the boys’ performances this season by winning two finals and if you had to award a winner, we feel like we are deserving,” he said.
“The success from the A-grade boys has filtered down and it's nice to see guys like Nick Minogue and Ross Hopkins, who have battled for a long time, to be able enjoy some success.
“This (premiership) is a reward for the players who have stuck fat during the hard years and for the hard work put in by everyone at the club.”