THEY were gone for all money - only to pull off one of the most miraculous of victories.
Cootamundra’ Stribley Shield cricketers have booked themselves a place in this season’s final
following a dramatic one-run victory over arch-rivals Wagga at Albert Park on Sunday.
In a match in which the ball completely dominated the bat, a total of 175 runs were scored from 75 overs equating to a snail’s pace run rate of just 1.93 runs per over.
However it wasn’t until the 41st over of the Wagga innings that the drama really began to unfold.
Chasing just 74 for victory after only two Cootamundra batsmen, Jimmy Mitchell and Tom McGregor, were able to reach double figures, Wagga appeared to have crawled their way into a winning position at 7-68 and just six runs from victory.
Coota went into the match minus a couple of key players and by that stage had exhausted their three strike bowlers David Garness, Dean Bradley and Nathan Corby who had all delivered their maximum 10 overs.
Skipper Scott Roberts turned to the unlikely pairing of Mitchell and Josh Purtell to bowl what would be the deciding overs and they delivered.
With every run precious, Mitchell gave up three wides in his opening two overs, however redeemed himself when he trapped Dominic Alexander in front for three.
Prior to the breakthrough Alexander was playing the anchor role as he and Jim Davies shared in a 27-run partnership that lasted more than 15 overs.
Even the most ardent of Coota fans would have almost given in as Mitchell ran in for his fourth over, however when the umpire’s finger went up there was a glimmer of hope.
Davies and number 10 Andrew Proctor survived the next two overs, adding four to the total and seeing Wagga just one shy of tying the match and two short of victory.
Purtell, who was operating at the Adams Street end and worrying the batsmen by jagging the ball off the seam, forced Proctor forward with the first ball of his fourth over, the ball
popping up to John Stephens in close who lunged forward to scoop up the ball just millimetres from the ground.
Wagga’s hopes now lay with skipper Anthony Briggs, but three balls later Purtell again bowled straight and full, with the ball ballooning off Briggs’ blade and this time Stephens, who prides himself on his fielding, showed great agility to leap high to his left and take the sharp chance handing his side what, only five
minutes earlier, appeared an unlikely victory.
And while Purtell was rightfully mobbed by his teammates for his late heroics, the win wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Bradley and to a
lesser extent Corby and Garness.
Bradley, who, like most his teammates thrives on the extra competitiveness of representative cricket, was at his brilliant best taking 5-18 off 10 unchanged overs which saw Wagga reeling at 6-35.
Garness had just 12 taken from his 10 overs and was unlucky not to have taken at least one wicket, while Corby chimed in with 2-13 also off 10.
Together they gave up just 43 runs from 180 balls.
Earlier in the day Roberts saw the coin fall his way and had no hesitation in
batting given the fact Coota’s record of chasing isn’t that flash.
However, by the first drinks break Roberts may have been second guessing his choice as the home side had collapsed to be 5-31 with Purtell (3), Mick Cronin Adam Twyford (9), Mick Cronin (7), Roberts (0) and Matt Berkrey (0) all back in the hutch.
The Wagga bowlers were also enjoying the life the deck was offering, far
different to the traditional roads on offer in their home city, with Briggs and Alexander taking four of the first five wickets between them.
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After looking solid, Nathan Corby fell for nine four overs after the break and the visitors were well on top.
Mitchell and McGregor then combined for what proved to be the match-winning (and highest) partnership, a crucial 29 runs for the seventh wicket.
However the pair both fell for 15 within the space of two runs of each other, while Bradley or Garness couldn’t add anything to the total to leave the hosts to defend a scanty total.
The win has seen Coota rocket to the top of the ladder on 21 points, two clear of Wagg and five in front of Tumut who is the only other side capable of making the finals.
In a stroke of fortune for Coota, Wagga and Tumut meet in next Sunday’s final round, meaning only one can gain maximum points and, if Coota were to knock over the winless Temora they will host the final against either Wagga or Tumut on Sunday, February 12.
Ironically Coota’s only other First XI match at home this season saw Coota and Yass playing a gripping tie in the opening round of the Country Plate.
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