Pine Lodge holds off Tigers in tight one-day final

However, they didn’t seem fazed as the Tigers quickly fell to 3-15.

This was thanks to opening bowler and captain Travis Waters, who dismissed two of Central Park’s top three batters within the first three overs.

Only one Tiger seemed to find some form out in the middle, with opener Andrew Boyington making 42 runs from 67 balls (including seven fours).

Pine Lodge eventually skittled Central Park for 110 from 38.2 overs with Waters, Ranjithan Thirachchelvan (2-15 from eight overs) and Gill Nav (1-15 from seven) the best with the ball.

However, there was an even spread of contributions from the Lodgers’ bowling line-up as a whole.

A Pine Lodge win seemed all but certain as Central Park tried to defend the below-par target it had set.

And when the score sat at 0-30 after four overs, Tigers fans could have been forgiven for hopping in their cars and turning for home.

But as the scoring began to dry up and the Lodgers lost 3-19, including the dangerous Hayden Cann (36 runs from 36 balls), the Tigers began to claw their way back into the match as nerves started to build in the Lodgers’ change rooms.

For the Tigers, captain Jack Hooper was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-16 from nine overs as he tried to get his team over the line.

Crafty spinner John Kealey was also pivotal in the Tigers’ turnaround, taking 1-19 from his nine overs.

After the fifth wicket fell in the 21st over the match hung in the balance before a hard-fought 24 not out from 73 balls by young batter Lachie Ludeman guided the Lodgers to a four-wicket grand final victory.

Captain Waters was thrilled with Ludeman’s performance and his side’s victory, although he admits the heart rate increased as the match wore on.

“Got a bit nervous there, but obviously backed the middle-order to get us over the line,” he said.

“A few boys threw wickets away, but at the end of the day, it’s a one-day, so you have to have a go at shots sometimes.”

Now that the one-day competition is finished, Waters said the club’s attention would turn to the two-day format as the Lodgers look to make it a B-grade title double.

“We have got finals now, the normal (two-day) finals; we are sitting second at the moment, so we just need to tick that off,” he said.

“One game to go, so qualify second or third and go deep in the finals. And these young kids can get us there, hopefully.”

Pine Lodge’s final regular season match will be against Old Students, while Central Park hosts Numurkah.