How Close Can a Final Be?

Most players spend their entire career hoping to play in a cricket final, let alone having the chance to win one. Although some finals do have a blow out score, the majority are tense affairs, keenly fought, and right down to the wire in regards the result. They can be exciting and palpitating, not only for the players, but for the supporters watching on the sideline.
On Sunday March 25th, 2012, Kiama and Warilla's 4th Grade teams put on a Grand Final worthy of an international match, with the final result still undecided right up until the final ball of the 42 overs-per-side match was delivered.

Kiama skipper Rob Wakeham won the toss and took the opportunity to bat first in perfect conditions. The initial exchanges were of the highest quality, and of a standard that pushed far beyond the standard of a normal 4th Grade match. The bowling from the Warilla bowlers was sharp, tight and accurate. They gave nothing away. The batting from Kiama's opening pair of Dave Creighton and Luke Bombaci was of the highest calibre, keeping out the good balls, and seeking runs off the few stray deliveries they met. It was tough cricket, with neither side wanting to give away an advantage.
Warilla made the initial breakthrough by having Bombaci bowled for 14 with the score on 39, off a languid 16 overs. More of the same continued, with Jason Horley joining Dave at the crease. The bowling continued to be tight and contested, the batting solid and assured.
Disaster for the Kiama team struck when they lost three wickets for five runs in just two overs. Horley was bowled for 13, and followed soon after by Creighton who had crafted together a hard working 27 from the opening position. Five balls later and Allan Stafford joined them in the sheds after being bowled for just 2. After five further overs of the bowlers being on top, Gary Cousins also lost his castle. At 5/74 off 28 overs, there was some possibility that the Cavaliers could find themselves dismissed for under a hundred runs, which could bring to bear considerable pressure.
There was little doubt that a partnership was required, and coming to the fore were two fighters in Ben Mulcahy and Brad Creighton. Despite a couple of dropped chances, the fielding had still been excellent, and the bowling continued to bottle up the batsmen. However, overs were running out, and the score needed to be padded badly. Initially the pair took few chances, but soon they were made to force their hand. Having put on 40 runs in nine overs, Brad tried to up the pace moreso and was caught for 11. Rob Wakeham, who has rarely died wondering with the bat, perished for just 2, and the score was 7/116 with five overs remaining.
After two more overs of pushing hard, Ben was finally bowled for a match-turning 33 runs. Three more overs of scrambling from Anthony Wetzel (17 not out) and Adam Mitchell, which saw Adam run out off the final ball of the innings for 2, got the Kiama total to 9/140 off their allotted 42 overs.

Although this was only a mid range total, there were some positives for the Kiama team. One, runs on the board in the final are always difficult to chase down. Two, the outfield was a spongy couch, which meant that many of the balls that were hit through or over the field could be chased down before reaching the boundary. Three, the Kiama bowling attack was probably the equal of the Warilla team, and could surely provide a similar attack.

Early breakthroughs were always going to be the key, and the Kiama opening bowlers provided them. Eleven balls into the innings, Dave Creighton found his way through Butler's defences and disturbed his castle for a duck. At the other end it appeared there may have been a problem. Casey had taken three two's off Rob Wakeham's opening over, and then deposited the second ball of his second over to the mid-wicket boundary. He looked as though he wanted to win the game in 20 overs, until the very next ball, which he chose to shoulder arms at. The result was that his stumps went cartwheeling, and he was on his way for 10. Warilla was 2/10, and Kiama had seized the advantage early on.

Ian Woods and Bill Butler carried on the fine 4th Grade tradition, with Butler especially espousing the 'cowboy' method of batting. Though it was proving to be effective, one believed that it was only a matter of time before the boom was lowered.
Gary Cousins relieved Dave at the southern or Workers End, and decided to test out the join in the new astro turf in the middle of the wicket. Those of us who were spectators on the other side of the boundary rope think that was his theory, but as he was banging the ball a bit shorter than that, we couldn't be 100% positive. After being called for one no ball (and lucky not to be called for another), yet another short ball found the edge of Butler's attempt pull stroke and he was comfortably caught by keeper Clay Laneyrie. After 8 overs, Warilla was 3/35.
More amusement came in Gary's second over, with another three very short balls, one of which was immediately called a no ball, and also drew a warning from the standing umpire. Another short ball two deliveries later must have been perilously close to being called another no ball or wide, but was reprieved. All of this was made meaningless when the seventh ball of his over was a head high full toss, which did go wide of the batsman, but resulted in Gary being pulled from the attack by the umpire for the remainder of the innings. Kiama was now a bowler short for the rest of the match, causing some more headaches for the captain to deal with.

After shuffling his bowlers around at the southern end for a few more overs, the score continued to build, and at a good clip. It was becoming obvious that Kiama would need to bowl out the Warilla team to win the game. The introduction of Ben Mulcahy from the northern end brought immediate results, with his fifth ball crashing into Colin Walker's stumps, and after 15 overs Warilla was now at 4/60, and the game had evened up again.
The next five overs sent the game rushing into Kiama's favour. Ben picked up his second wicket in his next over, having Matt Walker caught behind by Clay for just 2. At the other end, Anthony Wetzel was in the middle of a terrific spell of bowling, having bottled up the runs and attacked the stumps, giving nothing away. He was finally rewarded for his efforts in his fifth over, bowling the Warilla captain Nathan Winkelbauer for 1. At the conclusion of the 20th over, Warilla was now 6/67, and it looked as though it was now just a matter of time for the Kiama team to claim victory.

What came next looked like a classic Grand Final brain fade. The Warilla batsmen, Ian Woods, who had been at the crease since the second over, and Duane Castray, assessed the game, and pushed for quick singles, turned singles into two's, and hit the boundary when they could. It was intelligent and smart batting, but not always well executed. On no less than seven occasions, the opportunity arose for either batsman to be run out if the ball was fielded cleanly and thrown directly, but on all of those occasions it was not to be. All of those watching felt that it really was just a matter of time before one of the pair fell in this fashion, but they kept on their merry way, and closed the gap with every over. Woods brought up his fifty, a terrific innings under the circumstances, and then he took seven runs off two balls of Luke Bombaci's fourth over, bringing up the fifty partnership in the process. Finally, however, a break came. Castray tried to force a ball to the leg side that was too far across to the off, and instead popped up a high ball to short mid-wicket, where Brad Creighton ran in to accept the catch. Castray was gone for an excellent 20, the partnership had produced 52 runs in 16 overs, and Warilla was now 7/117.
The batsmen had crossed during the catch, and Luke's next ball was deposited to the boundary by Woods, who was now moving into game-winning mode. At 7/121, Warilla required 20 runs for victory off six overs with three wickets in hand.

On the boundary, the milling crowd's excitement was building. The frenzied running between the wickets was not abating, and two chances went begging in the next over. This was nothing compared to the dolly that fell from the sky in Luke's next over. The new batsman Westerway tried to guide a shortish ball on off stump through the off side, only to pop up the simplest chance in the history of cricket to gully, where Allan Stafford stood awaiting an opportunity. The ball came at the same flight and velocity that fathers throw a tennis ball to their four year old son when they are teaching them to catch. It was a sure thing. It was impossible to drop. Staf set himself up under the path of the ball, even forming a lap bowl underneath his hands so that, even if the impossible happened and the ball DID fall from his hands, it would fall into his lap and be safe. The ball fell, the crowd rose. The ball went into his hands... and out... and plopped on the ground in front of him. A dolly. Grassed. The Warilla supporters went wild, shouting out encouragement to their batsmen to keep going. To add to the injury, the batsmen had scrambled a single while the ball made it's way to gully.

Dave Creighton came back for his final over from the northern end, and found both batsmen standing well out of their ground to try and get him away. Keeper Laneyrie donned the helmet, and came up to the stumps to keep them in their crease. It was a brave move. Anything down legside could potentially be four runs - and the second ball after coming up was exactly that, but Clay did well to get across and get his pads in front of it. No one was sure it was the right move, until a little tickle from Westaway was brilliantly taken by Clay, sending Warilla to 8/128 off 39 overs.

Three overs remaining, 13 runs required for Warilla. Two wickets for Kiama.

Luke Bombaci began his final over, and the first ball was slashed down to third man by Warilla's hero Woods. Down at deep backward point, Adam Mitchell rushed to collect the ball, and fired it back to the keeper with the batsmen attempting a second run. On the boundary, the Warilla supporters were pushing their man to run faster, and the Kiama supporters were willing the ball to get to the keeper. It was a terrific throw, and Clay took the ball and the stumps almost in the same movement, and the dive at the crease by Woods was in vain as he was adjudged run out - as it could only have been, given the golden run during the innings. His superb innings of 67 was completed with the batsman obviously devastated, and the Kiama team celebrating.

Warilla were nine wickets down, and as described by their own teammates and supporters, the final two batsmen were not just rabbits but ferrets. Despite this, they needed only 12 runs with 17 deliveries remaining, and were still in with a chance. Luke completed the final five deliveries of his over, conceding only a two, leaving 12 deliveries to be bowled and ten runs required for a Warilla victory, or one wicket for a Kiama victory.

Due to Gary's dismissal from the bowling crease, the bowling stocks were being stretched, and Allan Stafford was charged with bowling the penultimate over. His first ball was on a good length, and a huge swipe by the batsman was missed and sailed through to the keeper. Staf's second ball was a short one, and was pulled for two runs. The next ball brought a mistimed drive, just wide of the bowler. Staf reached out, got both hands to it, but put down the tough caught and bowled chance. Hands were in the air everywhere. Another pitched up delivery was driven down the ground for a single. It had been a good over to this point, but a wide on the following delivery brought joy from the Warilla camp. Staf recovered from this ball to concede no runs from his final two deliveries, and the match was on a knife edge.

6 balls to go. 6 runs to win for Warilla. 1 wicket for Kiama.

At the start of the season, you would have gotten long odds on the fate of the 4th Grade season falling into the hands of Blake Schneider. Before this day, he had bowled a total of 15.3 overs for the season, and though his figures were better than average, the pressure on him was enormous. But who as a cricketer does NOT want the responsibility of winning a final for your team? It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and it was one that was also afforded to the numbers 10 and 11 batsmen for the Warilla team.

The first ball of the final over was a swipe that resulted in a single for Warilla. Five required from five deliveries. Then, almost before one could blink, the game was all but over, as Blake bowled three dot balls, with the batsmen unable to find a gap through the field. Warilla need five runs off the final two deliveries, and surely, given the tightness of the previous five overs, the game was good as over.
Or maybe not.
The penultimate delivery was swiped over mid on, with the batsmen running wildly and the fieldsmen as well. They could only manage two runs, which left Warilla needing three or more off the final ball to win the game. Directions came from everywhere. The batsman spoke together, and were wildly encouraged by their support staff. Rob got his field set where he wanted them, with support from Jason Horley who was currently off the field, but still right in the game. Blake set himself for the most important delivery of his career.

The final ball. It's the same good length delivery from Blake, and the same swipe over mid on by the batsman. Again, however, the batsman didn't quite get a hold of it, and the ball falls safely about halfway to the boundary. The field swoops, and returns it to the bowlers end as the batsmen complete two runs, but there is no chance of a third.

Amazingly, after 42 overs, Warilla has finished at 9/140, the exact same score as the Kiama team. Nothing separates the teams, and the game is a tie. Both teams immediately realise the ending - as minor premiers, Kiama win the 4th Grade premiership.

The final two balls of the 4th Grade 2011/12 season

It was an amazing game, and both teams were magnificent in... well, in tie. Warilla had done themselves and their Club proud, while the Cavaliers squad, in winning their third consecutive Premiership, had equalled the record set by the Kiama team from 1999 through 2002, which won three 4th Grade premiership in succession.

Cricket can be a cruel game, and while the players and supporters from Kiama who played in and watched this match will always remember it fondly, no doubt those from the Warilla camp would feel completely the opposite. Such is the fate of the game of cricket, especially in the unlikely event of a tie in the final.

Short Form of the Game

In the days long before Twenty20 cricket had been formulated and turned into the dollar-driven colour-laden machine that it is today, shorter forms of the game of cricket on the South Coast were still prevalent, and during their time in existence they provided as much enjoyment and festivity as the marketable version does today.

In the late 1970's and through to the mid-1980's, Twilight Cricket was played on the South Coast, usually on a late weekday afternoon, with games featuring an array of cricketers from all Grades, all just looking to get some extra competition in their week. Most games were played on a friendly basis, though I do recall being told of a match between Kiama and Lake Illawarra at Jamberoo back in 1985 that ended up becoming a bouncer-fest due to some disagreements in the umpiring. The aim of course was to win the toss, to ensure that whatever fleeting sunlight may have been available in late spring and early autumn was utilised by your team, leaving your opponents the dimness of twilight and dusk to manufacture the runs required for victory. Unfortunately, with the competition being of a semi-serious nature, the collection of scores hidden at the bottom of the inside back page of the Kiama Independent generally only show results without much detail, and I was not old enough at the time to participate myself. It is a shame. One can only imagine the kind of stories that would have come from such a competition. The few conversations I had at Club training 30 years ago with those that played in the Twilight comp have well and truly faded into the mists of time.

Several Clubs used to conduct a Double Wicket competition, at their most popular during the late 1970's and early 1980's as well. Most competitions ran within a single club, under the lines of all competitors being drawn out of a hat to find their partner. The first batting partnership would then face four overs, two from each of their opposing team. Then the teams would swap and complete the match. Fielders would generally consist of any number of other teams competing while they awaited their match - sometimes only 6-8 on the field, other times up to 12 or 14.
My one dalliance with the Double Wicket competition was a pre-season hit out at Kiama to get people prepared for the new season. I was 14 years old and did not really know most of the Grade players, and was just trying to get a run in a Grade team. My name was drawn out to be partnered with a guy I had never met, and whom I soon discovered had probably never played the game of cricket in his life. I was summarily run out off the second ball I faced when he refused to run on my call (or, as I've more often thought, was unaware that running between the wickets is something that is done in cricket). He was then dismissed three balls later, and so our total of zero was passed by the first ball my partner bowled (or rather, lollypopped with an action I have rarely seen the equal of) to the opposing batsman. I then spent the next four hours fielding in early September heat, unable to really show anyone whether I could play the game of cricket. Thus was born my reluctance to ever play this form of the game again.
At times, there appeared a couple of bigger competitions within the District which offered prize money to the winners, and this attracted ready-made pairs equipped to be able to both bat and bowl to a high standard to attempt to take the trophy. However, their popularity waned in a similar way that occurred with twilight cricket.

One event that was always enjoyable in its time was held and run by the Albion Park Cricket Club. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, the Albion Park Six-A-Side Competition was held on a Sunday generally in February each season. All Clubs were encouraged to enter teams in the event, as well as Clubs from outside of the South Coast District. Some even entered more than one. Games started at about 8.00am, both on Keith Grey Oval and on Albion Park Showground, now called Des King Oval. Teams fielded six players, and games were played over five eight-ball overs per side.
Each player except the nominated wicket-keeper had to bowl one over, with run-ups to be kept to a minimum of four metres, which were marked at each end, while the five fielders tried to find the best spot to field where they would be most effective. Two matches would be played in tandem, with the first match having the first team bat, followed by the second match having the first team bat. The first match would then have its concluding innings, followed by the second match's conclusion. This kept the day moving with few interruptions and allowed the players to rest between innings. It was a great concept, and a terrifically fun day to not only participate in, but to watch for players and spectators alike. Once the finals were reached, all games were moved up to the Showground, where all players and spectators would congregate to watch the conclusion of the day.
 I couldn't tell you who won this competition over the years. By the end of the day, you were either too plastered to recall (if you were knocked out in the early rounds) or too buggered from chasing a ball around all day (if you happened to make it through to the final rounds). I know that Kiama had a team in for three consecutive years in the 1990's with a solid playing squad. Brett Gregory, Darren Gregory, Steve Norris, Jason Wills, Scott Danswan, Peter Netherclift, Steve Holz, David Bryant and your humble correspondent were just some of the players who were in the squad during those days. We entered because it was a fun way to enjoy our cricket after the 'serious' nature of our 1st Grade seasons at the time, and we all enjojyed each other's company both on and off the field. We also wanted to win. But the games were spectacular, and there was fun times to be had.
Many of the games were spectacular, and most were fun to be a part of. However, there are two specific events which still stick in my mind of the games we played and watched.

One was of watching future Kiama player Mark Shoudra playing an amazing innings in one game for Gerringong on Des King Oval. Our Kiama team was sharing the field in our match, and after our innings of fielding had been completed against our opponent, we sat back and watched "Shoudy" let rip. In today's modern short-form games you have the ramp shot and the reverse pull and the switch hit all becoming commonplace. To be honest, with only four or five fielders in evidence in this competition you didn't need to resort to that kind of cricket, but you often had to do a lot of running. Mark wasn't fond of that kind of cricket, and instead decided to unleash his best and favourite (and some would say only) shot - the big hoick over mid wicket. In a format where most players were reaching a maximum of 20 or so before bottoming out through either exhaustion or over-swinging, the left handed Gerringong slogger took to the bowling, and single handedly smashed 80-odd in the four and a half overs he was at the crease. It was great to watch, and it was a shame that there wasn't a bigger crowd at the time to see it. But in the days before Sanath Jayasuriya started the pillaging of bowling attacks in ODI cricket around the world, this was some of the best aggressive cricket I'd seen at any level. The bowlers couldn't find their line (and with everyone having to bowl just one over it was a tough ask) and the fielders never seemed to be in the right position. Eventually all four available fieldsmen were placed on the leg side boundary, but Shoudra just kept putting it over them. When he finally holed out, having scored all but half a dozen runs of Gerringong's total, it was to a standing ovation. Unfortunately, despite his heroics, he was unable to get his team over the line.

My favourite memory was of the year Kiama made the semi-finals of the tournament, only to be faced with a juggernaut. Sydney Grade club Campbelltown had, in recent times, been drawing upon some of the best of the South Coast's cricketers, and bringing them to the Sydney competition to show their wares. Amongst them included Shane Lee, Kerry Penfold and Graeme Smith, just to name a few. With the local flavour in the club, they had been encouraged to enter a team in that year's competition, and they were obviously the team to beat. The team they had to beat to make the Final? Kiama.
We had a good team that year, and by making the semi-final we thought we were a sneaky chance to take out the title. Even when we were drawn against the Campbelltown All-Stars, we still thought we might be a chance. Losing was never really an option when you had Gregory's and Norris's and Wills's in the team.
Campbelltown batted first, and set a fairly tough target. Our reply stuttered under the disciplined and well drilled bowling, and victory seemed a long way off.
Steve Norris was our second-to-last batsman, and when he came to the crease Kiama needed a miracle. The talk had been animated before he was required, with plenty of helpful suggestions from batsmen who had already failed to produce the goods. K.C.C non-playing supporter (and if you'd ever seen him play, you would know why he is non-playing) John Cincotta, better known to most in the Club as "Bono", had teased Steve with the promise of a case of beer if he could hit a six. It soon became obvious that Steve was going to be batting when Shane Lee (who had just recently begun his First Class career with New South Wales) was bowling his over. This led to Bono doubling his offer if he could hit Shane Lee for six. Jason Wills' stumps went cartwheeling, and Steve strode to the crease.
It was a marvellous sight. Steve with blue shorts and his white cricket shirt hanging out untidily, his thigh guard wrapped loosely over his upper left leg, gloves being pulled on, his hat slightly cocked to the left. He asked the umpire for centre, and checked his guard. He then looked to the left, and then the right, checking where the sparse fielders had been placed. Then, with Shane standing just a metre behind the umpire at the top of his allowed run up, Steve raised his bat, and in a perfect imitation of the Cleveland Indians' catcher Jake Taylor at the end of the film "Major League", he pointed towards mid-wicket, calling his shot. The crowd loved it, the theatricality of the moment defining the fun atmosphere of the contest.
Shane ran in, and obliged by dropping the ball short and rising up into rib cage. But oh dear me, anyone who has seen Steve Norris bat knows that he is a compulsive puller, and instinct took over. As Shane and the Campbelltown boys eyes followed, Steve swung the ball high and handsome well over mid-wicket into the crowd sitting in the bleachers, and they went wild. It was a perfect moment, one that captured the fun and enjoyment of the competition. And it cost Bono two cases of beer.

No, we didn't pull off a miracle and win the game, but Steve's moment had defined how that form of the game was played, as a fun day where players from all Clubs mixed on the field and socially off the field. It was a shame when the plug was pulled. It is the kind of event that I sometimes think could still work today, on so many levels. And in the days before widespread video cameras and camera phones were available, it is just the memories of moments like Mark Shoudra and Steve Norris that remain.