1st Grade Kingsgrove Sports Twenty 20 Cup Grand Final

Under sunny skies following heavy morning cloud, Randwick Petersham skipper Adam Semple and Nathan Price strode to the wicket after the decision to bat. But after a well-struck four in the opening over Semple was spectacularly caught at second slip off a top edge which looked a boundary all the way. RPC 1-5 off 5 balls.

Randwick Petersham v Sydney University @ Coogee Oval

Sunday 29 November 2015 at 1 pm.

                                                                          Won by Randwick Petersham 7-166 to 7-140

Under sunny skies following heavy morning cloud, Randwick Petersham skipper Adam Semple and Nathan Price strode to the wicket after the decision to bat. But after a well-struck four in the opening over Semple was spectacularly caught at second slip off a top edge which looked a boundary all the way. RPC 1-5 off 5 balls.

Nathan Price was joined by Anthony Sams and the pair quickly got the runs flowing bringing up 1-40 in just four overs. But after facing just 25 balls for 45 in 33 minutes with 6 fours and a six, Price was brilliantly caught low down in the outfield when it appeared he had hit another boundary. RPC 2-77 off 8.2 overs. Sams’ innings also came to an end one run later when he picked out a fielder on the cover-drive fence to give him a simple catch. Sams went for 28 off 27 balls with 3 fours and a six. RPC 3-78 off 9.3.

And if the good crowd in attendance were impressed with the three catches already taken they were “over the moon” at the fourth. Alex Kemp hit what appeared a certain straight drive six half-way up the northern sightscreen only to see fielder Tim Ley jump high and throw a left hand in the air in more of a gesture than an attempt at a catch. But the ball firmly lodged in the palm of his hand with Ley regaining his balance after returning to earth with his feet millimetres inside the boundary rope for a simply amazing catch. Kemp gone for 2 and RPC 4-83 off 10.6.

Daniel Sams (43 off 33 with 3 fours and a six) and Shaun Eaton (23 off 15 with one four and 2 sixes) then got together in a solid 50 run partnership in six overs to get to 5-133 off 17 when Eaton departed. Sams followed 18 runs later (RPC 6-151 off 18.5). Jake Scicluna (12 off 7 with one six) and Soumil Chhibber (7 off 4 with one boundary) then put the cream on the cake to set a very competitive target of 7-166.

In the run chase, Sam Doggett made an early breakthrough in the second over of Uni’s innings to have opener Miller caught at mid-off by Semple. SU 1-4 off 1.4. But former State opener and Uni. skipper Nick Larkin and no.3 Robertson were looking comfortable to get the score to 75 with a flurry of boundaries. Nathan Price broke the partnership to see the score 2-75 off 9.4 but it was the introduction of spinner Soumil Chhibber which slowed down the scoring. And when wickets fell in successive balls to Chhibber and a run-out, the scoreline looked a shaky 4-99 off 12.6

The danger man remained Nick Larkin who was looking good on 61. However, when Semple snuck one through his defence for a 5-122 score-line off 16.1 overs, Randwick Petersham strengthened its grip on the trophy and the $12,000 winners’ cheque. The hitters were gone and it was just a matter of nicks and nudges from the remainder leaving 31 to get off the final over. And with 5 runs and a wicket in the last six balls, the home side had won by an impressive 26 runs for its third Twenty20 Cup in 5 years. And with the many supporters and officials joining the team in the dressing room after the match, the team song could be heard loud and clear from Coogee to the Great Hall in Sydney University!

Lyall Gardner