It had almost been lost. The chance to have
a crack at the premiership. For you see it had only been a week ago when
the Boomers schooled Blackout in the art of shellacking by registering a
score of 190 to 70. Not even a player with a busted nose could slow them
down last week. But this week there was to be no pizza for the Boomers.
But we had to tell ourselves that before the game started.
Rob was struggling with demons as to what
should happen if he won the toss. Fate would end up deciding for us and we
were to be sent into bat first. Not what we wanted but this was just a
minor part in how the game would pan out. The minute Col & Tim got bat
to ball they looked like their old selves once more. Back nets were a
plenty and they were avoiding the dreaded wickets for most of the way with
the exception of the one run out. So far damn good with an opening
partnership of 42 runs.
Rob surprised me a bit by sending me and
Rashid out to bat 2nd. Personally speaking I felt that my most important
mission in this batting stint was to simply avoid getting out and hit the
nets. I was hoping to have a repeat of our partnership performance when we
faced the Chokers last week (in which we scored a steady 15 runs) and that
we did with some improvement as we tallied 24 runs losing only 2 wickets.
Next enter the Pete and Paul combo. Once
again slow & steady won the race here (something we may need to take
on board in future games) as Pete frustrated bowlers with his trademark
"roll off the wrist" shot to score the highest individual score
(19 runs). They even managed to gain momentum in their final over as the
Boomer's Dave failed to contain the Blackout offence.
Dave and Rob gloved up and were faced with
a now warmed up Boomers side who gave the two senior players a hard time
with some good fielding. But to the 2 captaining players credit they
fought back and hung on to a 15 run tally. Although Rob would like to have
that last ball back as he was run out with a dodgy call. We'll leave these
two to play the blame game.
So with 111 runs on the board we felt that
we registered a quite defendable total with good partnership totals being
across the board. The real challenge was to get the wickets and get them
quickly to shove the Boomers onto the back foot. A position they don't
respond to well. Col and Paul showed the number 2 team that we were not
impressed by last week's defeat and we were to play more on our terms this
week! However their first pair fought back well to their credit and
managed to turn the tables back on us a bit by scoring 30 runs off 2
overs. Not good.
The 2nd pair had also put together a tidy
package and troubled us by hitting the back nets and also keeping the ball
low to avoid getting caught. But we did manage to force 2 run outs out of
them and keep the tally to a more reasonable total and avoid an early blow
out.
Blackout were gathered together though
before the 3rd pair were to be dealt with and after a good look at the
board decided that more wickets were in order and that the nets must be
protected at all costs. Good speech Rob! As we let only one back net go
past us and we took 3 wickets off their total to remove any shine they
could have mustered.
Score was 81 and we were defending 111. The
next pair was going to be an issue. These two (Luke & Mark) were over
confident and unfortunately for us, quite capable batsman. They recorded a
devastating 62 runs against us last week and did so with lots cockiness in
their attitude. Our weapon this week? We had 2 in fact. A full team &
the ability to transform their cockiness into shell shock as we undo their
ability thanks to good wickets. But we had to earn our keep. I faced them
first and managed to subdue them with a zero total... till they smacked my
6th bowl for a six. These two had spark. Paul faired slightly better by
limiting them to 5 runs and recording a run out in the process. This is
when they started to get scared for use of a better word.
93 runs, 2 overs remaining. Enter the
reserve player, Rashid! Coming off an earlier successful over (-1) he
continued to harass the batsmen by limiting them in their shots to hit
straight back at Rashid thus allowing Rashid to take 2 much needed run
outs. Their total at the beginning of the final over was 91. 20 runs off
the final over. With these 2 in bat it was a gettable total. We didn't
make it easy on ourselves. We let too many back nets through and allowed
them to have a chance. They rocked up 15 of those runs to leave them with
one bowl left! They needed to get the back net to make this game count.
Tim comes in to bowl, Luke pounds down the pitch to strike a well hit, but
not off the meat of the bat back netter. I look up the back net in horror
but see Rob under it which immediately changes the horror to hope! It
comes off the top net and lands straight into the hands of Rob who never
looked like dropping it!
A big cheer went up and all of us Blackout
started congratulating each other. The Boomers were distraught. No pizza
for them. No pub. Only "what ifs". "Don't worry guys. Next
season" was the call I heard from their camp. The dull looks of their
faces looked good from this side of the fence. As it was the first time I
could look at the other team and say sorry guys but this cup is mine! Yes
this was the first Grand Final win I have had in anything! I can count how
many times I was the Greg Norman and had to swallow "Runners
Up". Once in Aussie Rules (go Bangor Tigers!) and three times with
Indoor Cricket (2 with Skrotes and once with Blackout). The beer certainly
tastes better on these occasions!
