RSL-Colts has a proud and storied history but the weekend’s RSL-Whitney Cup grand final victory was a win which will be remembered for some time.
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RSL-Colts captain Greg Buckley described the feeling of winning the thrilling decider by just four runs in the final over as one of the best in his time with the club.
The Englishman has been playing in Australia with Colts since 2012/13 and was key again on Sunday as the men in red defeated South Dubbo in an all-time classic decider.
Colts posted 151 and in an enthralling day of cricket the Hornets crawled towards the total and at one stage seemed destined to make up for the pain of losing last season’s grand final.
It came down to the final over with Souths needing six runs with just one wicket in hand and Buckley’s fellow Englishman Jake Caudwell trapped Cameron Herd in front on the second ball to secure a famous four-run win.
“It was unreal, you could feel the buzz and everyone had goosebumps,” Buckley said of the thrilling finale.
“Everyone knew it was going to one way or the other but it was amazing and the best feeling I reckon I’ve had with Colts.”
Buckley spoke at length about his club’s winning culture and the confidence ingrained in players at length in the lead-up to the decider and it such a close, tense and pressure-filled match the captain said it was key.
“Last night we were really confident and spoke about celebrating just to feel we were still in the game,” he said.
Souths captain Mitch Bower, so often the star with the bat during the second half of the summer, was the hero with the ball on Saturday as his left arm orthodox claimed 5/57 from 27.4 overs while he also too two tremendous catches.
Despite missing Will Lindsay on day one, the Hornets reduced Colts to 5/56 at one stage but some patient rearguard action from Tim Cox (32), Jason Ryan (28) and Chris Morton (23) built a defendable grand final total.
Souths resumed on Sunday at 0/17 and Mark O’Donnell went on to make a gritty and fighting 50 before becoming the first of Buckley’s three victims.
Will Lindsay held things together in the middle after the Hornets were 3/40, with Bower back in the sheds after chopping on from Tim Cox for 1, but when Buckley had him caught behind it was a huge moment in the match.
But Souths refused to quit and Greg Rummans (31 not out) almost played one of the great match-saving innings’ with his side still needing 26 when number 11 Cameron Herd came in.
Herd did a sterling job in getting his side as close as they did but in the final over with the pressure on he went to turn one to leg side and every Colts player and supporter went up with Caudwell and were rewarded with the ultimate prize.
“I said before the game it was never going to come down to someone scoring 150, it was going to be the bowlers scoring the runs and a few magic catches,” Buckley said.
Tim and Brad Cox also chipped in with the ball, each taking 2/19 while Caudwell, Tom Atlee and Ben Semmler struck once each.
“They had one guy who really bullied us with the ball, Mitch, but as a team all the bowlers performed.”
The win was also a special one for the club, celebrating its 40th anniversary.
“It’s just perfect,” Buckley said.
“It will be nice to look back and say in the 40th year both firsts and seconds won the final. It’s a special moment for the club.”