Grand Final Glory

In an absolute thriller of a grand final, it was the Popped Collars who prevailed by 2 runs over ASG to clinch their second premiership from the last three seasons.

The game was a close run thing from the first ball until the last. Neither team ever had a clear upper hand, and as the last few balls were sent down, it even looked as though it may end up a tie. Cool heads with the bat from Jake and Andy in the dying stages of the game saw the Popped Collars home off the last ball.

The last three seasons have been dominated by three teams. Popped Collars, 4Skins and ASG (formerly DILIGAFS). Tonight's grand final saw the completion of all possible combinations of those three teams. Two seasons ago, Popped Collars defeated 4Skins in a upset win. Last time around it was DILIGAFS who beat the (again) minor premiers 4Skins. This time it was the previous two champions going head-to-head.

ASG won the toss and chose to bat first. Their innings was typically "pro" with plenty of twos and relatively few wickets. The partnership scores were also fairly consistent as all four pairs took a similar approach. The first two pairs put on 32 and 35, losing only 3 wickets between them. The third skin started very shakily - at one stage early in the third over they were down to -7, before recovering to get back to a respectable 19.

The final pair did the reverse, plucking 23 runs from the first two overs before the bowlers got the batsmen worked out and pulled them back to finish on 22.

Popped Collars didn't get a lot of genuine opportunities in the field, but they did take some spectacular wickets. Julian plucked a one-hander down low to his right after over-running the line of the ball and having to lunge back towards the stumps. Jake made a diving catch in on the leg-side, and early on in the game made a run-out which will be remembered for the wild whooting and celebration that followed.

Popped Collars innings, with Xavier and Julian, started solidly as well. Julian got himself out a few times through the middle stages, but they still put on 40 - the highest pair of the match.

Brad and Sanjit got unlucky. Brad got frustrated, and spoken to by the umpire after having some words to say about being given out "Third Ball". Something the umpire had to explain twice during the game as Julian was out the same way earlier for the slightest of hesitation in his run on a third-dot-ball.

Gareth and Rian kept the scoreboard ticking over and left Andy and Jake with a very achievable target of 23. The 13th over brought 7 runs, and just to keep it exciting, the next over was -3.

Foward to the final over. Nine to win. Jake joined the unlucky list when a safe looking swat straight into the side net on the leg side just sat up enough for the man there to take the catch on the rebound. When it came down to 8 from 3 balls, Jake went for the glory. A perfectly straight shot far over everyone's heads, and with ASG's usual back-net fielder as the bowler, they were unable to gather for the run-out.

The bowler would later be heard vigorously expressing his "disappointment" with the fact that he was hit for seven "off the splice of the bat" to turn the match against his team.

Having clarified the rules for a draw with the guys at the desk (Popped Collars would be the premiers having finished higher on the ladder), the word was sent to the batters that a tie would be good enough. Andy left alone the second last ball as it spun and bounced away from him, and then made sure of the result by punching a two into the corner to finish the match.

Andy Ragg picked up player of the final, for his 25 and 2/1, while the resident team stat-man declared Rian to be the Popped Collars player of the season. Details will be coming in the usual end-of-season stats in the next day or two.