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It’s not the way you imagine a team winning a national tournament but that was exactly the way it panned out for Jordan Moran and his NSW Country teammates at the Australian Country Cricket Championships.
The Bush Blues appeared no chance of winning the tournament last Thursday when when three straight one-day losses but back-to-back double bonus point wins and some surprise results elsewhere meant NSW claimed the title in a way that beggars belief.
“We were joking all night that we were the Steve Bradbury of cricket,” Moran said after returning to Dubbo on Monday.
“Two days ago we’d had no points after three one-dayers and then two days later we were on top. It was just unbelievable.”
Moran was playing at the national championships for the third time and has played a mountain of cricket throughout his career but said nothing he’s ever done comes close to the experience in Geraldton last week.
After his side, which sat at the top of table early on after taking out the Twenty20 part of the competition, lost three straight the thought was the best the Bush Blues could finish was fourth.
But Dave Redden, a former Western Zone man and someone who lives for the game, crunched the numbers and discovered there was slightest chance his side could be crowned nationals.
It would require some stunning performances from NSW and plenty of luck but it was a chance.
“In the back of our heads we knew it was a very slim chance,” Moran, who was battling through a comeback from a broken hand, said.
“But we didn’t think it would happen. We were playing to restore some pride and get back to where we were because our first three one-day games were pretty poor.”
The hope didn’t last long as one the second last day of the tournament Western Australia posted 214 against the Bush Blues.
A double bonus point win in tricky conditions with the wind howling seemed almost impossible but Moran didn’t lie down.
“Before we went out I went over to Joe Price, he’d been promoted to open, and I I’d figured it out we needed about eight runs an over so I said let’s go hard for the first five and then reassess.
“I took 14 runs off the first and then ‘Pricey’ went ballistic and to get 215 inside 25 overs in those conditions was amazing.”
Moran made 48 from 36 that day while Price scored 64 from 30 and Caleb Ziebell belted 43 from 32 to keep the Bush Blues in the hunt.
Against a dejected South Australia Country side on the final day, the Bush Blues went in confident and scored a dominant six-wicket win in quick time to earn double bonus points again.
Making the whole situation more stunning is the fact Moran took painkillers for the second half of the campaign as he battled soreness in his hand.
On top of that, in the final round against South Australia he was battling a stomach bug so he “had a couple of chunders while batting”.
Moran battled through to make 44 from 45 and help the Bush Blues reach the low target of 96 inside 21 overs but even then title success wasn’t guaranteed.
NSW needed Queensland Country to down Victoria Country and for the Western Australians to beat East Asia Pacific.
And even when that occurred, the celebrations in the NSW room weren’t too big.
“Points were tied (between NSW and Victoria) so it went on quotient,” Moran said.
“We were sitting around a table, updating the ladder and hitting refresh every 30 seconds and then when the final ladder came up and we were on top, I can’t describe the feeling in the room.
“To do it in the style and fashion we did and to need other results going our way, it was unbelievable and be with your mates, sitting in that room. That’s lifelong memories.”
The entire trip to Western Australia was memorable for Moran.
He got to experience the honour of playing for the Australian Country side in an exhibition match and then after the 12 matches of the Championships he finished the fifth leading run-scorer overall.
Moran was also on track to make the Australian Country side again until a brilliant 134 not out from Queensland Country’s James Spargo in the final round saw him get the call-up.
However, Moran didn’t mind too much as Spargo’s knock helped hand NSW Country the overall title and the Dubbo star said that was sweeter than any individual accolade.