Only days after long-time club president Jonathan Thomas’ wife Carmen died of complications from an asthma attack, the Bushies used every ounce of their courage to clinch their first flag since 1997-98. 

Two of the heroes of the win were Englishmen James Weighell and Josh Bousfield, who have lived with the Thomas family this season.

“It’s been a really tough week and I think everyone should be proud of themselves,” Thomas said.

“There has been a lot of courage shown and that’s what our club is built on.

“Today was all heart.

“James and Josh have lived with us all season and they were a part of all the goings-on on Wednesday and I was just really proud of those boys again today.”

Thomas has been president of Tallangatta for more than a decade and was swamped by players, supporters and officials on the ground after skipper Mat Armstrong claimed the final wicket of the match.

TALLANGATTA captured its first Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial premiership since 1997-98 when it brought down a gallant East Albury by 19 runs at Les Cheesley Oval yesterday.

Led by skipper Mat Armstrong and Englishman James Weighell, the Bushies won enough key moments to reverse its grand final loss to the Crows in 2007-08.

Tallangatta put itself slightly in front of the game after making 264 on Saturday thanks to a 134-run partnership between Armstrong (83) and Weighell (68), and it was the same two players who stood up under pressure yesterday.

Weighell bowled with blinding pace to capture 5-65 off 24 overs, while Armstrong tied up one end in taking 3-47 off 25.2 overs.

The Bushies picked up the early wickets of Nick Hanlon and Hayden Coulson before big-hitting Alex Popko and Aleem Mahmood came together and took the score to 84.

Disaster then struck for East Albury with Popko being given leg before wicket to Armstrong for 48 — within minutes the score was 5-107 with Mahmood and James McNeil also back in the pavilion.

Dylan Weeding and Joel Shepherd came together and put on a 77-run stand before Shepherd fell to Clint Reid to make the score 6-184.

From that point Weighell and Armstrong were able to negotiate Tallangatta through some anxious moments, including a series of tough dropped catches, to score a famous win.

Armstrong said his team knew East Albury would keep coming at them.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the boys,” Armstrong said.

“East Albury were the standout team and were never going to bow down, even when they were five down at tea.

“They were never going to give it to us.

“Dylan Weeding and Joel Shepherd put pressure on us and luckily James Weighell got his tail up and we finished strongly again. We dropped seven catches and took three or four screamers so it probably evened out a bit.”

Tallangatta was fortunate to make the finals after finishing in fifth spot following a last round loss to Albury.

But it saved its best form for the finals, where it upset competition favourite Wodonga in the semi-final before scoring a hard-fought win over St Patrick’s in the preliminary final.

“We came together really well during the finals,” Armstrong said.

“There have been a few anxious moments, but we got there.

“I was fairly happy after making 260, because in finals it’s probably like making 290 or 300.”

McNeil and opening bowler Cameron White were the pick of the East Albury bowlers on Saturday.

White capped off a stellar season by claiming 4-53 off 22 overs while McNeil grabbed 5-37, including the prized wicket of Weighell when he looked like pushing the score to near 300.

Armstrong and Tallangatta veteran Steve Wood dedicated the win to the Thomas family after club president Jonathan Thomas’ wife, Carmen, died suddenly last week.

“JT has been a friend for 25 years,” Wood said.

“A lot of people would have turned up today to support JT and Carmen.

“Obviously it’s been very emotional for all of us.

“No doubt there will be a few tears later because we have put them away for a few days.”