Lismore's Southern Districts Cricket Club has an illustrious history. The club has won Far North Coast Cricket Council's prestigious L J Hooker League in 2006/2007, 2004/2005, 2003/2004 and 1997/1998.

However the club has fallen on hard times. This season it was able to field one side, in Third Grade, and it had only 14 players registered.

It has been a season that none of them will forget. It was not trying to recapture that history that spurred them on, it was the tragic deaths of their captain P J Barnes and cub stalwart Richard Mudge.

With PJ Barnes' Mum watching on, Southern Districts won the Third Grade Final on Adam Gilchrist Oval at Caniaba, on Saturday afternoon to claim Minor and Major Premierships.

A mural celebrating P J Barnes was taken to every match and held pride of place in the final.

"We were particularly keen and determined to get the Minor and Major Premierships for P J Barnes and Richard Mudge. It drove us on," said Southern Districts Cricket Club President Scott Gough.

It was Gough who got Southern Districts off to a flier against Kyogle Turkeys in the Third Grade Final. After winning the toss and electing to bat Gough, who top scored with 74, put on 107 runs for the third wicket with Beau Lavis.

"We were 2/52 at 20 overs and reached 9/216 at 40 overs, which we thought was a good score. Rick Dehoon finished 20 not out and Garry Browning and Jordan Bills both hit 14," said Gough.

"We were upbeat at the break, thought we could now win."

However Kyogle Turkeys did not lay down without a fight. Southern Districts' opening bowlers Dale McDonald and Dehoon kept the scoring in check.

"It got tight for a little while as their best batsman Josh Vidler hit 60 before he was well caught by Rick Dehoon at mid on," said Gough.

"We took our catches and it capped a really good season. It would make PJ and Mudges happy."

The Turkeys were bowled out for 183 in the 37th over. Max Gould's medium fast bowling accounted for five Kyogle Turkeys' lower order batsmen for 12 runs in 3.2 overs.