University began the second weekend of the match with a mountain to climb. The students needed one wicket to dismiss Redlands on first innings, before attempting to surpass the lead of 98 and set a score they could defend. While the last wicket fell quickly, the presence of time was still become a growing factor in the match. Uni would not only need enough runs on the board to defend, but enough time to bowl the overs required to dismiss Redlands. They could not afford to play a game of patience.
Starting positively, Uni reached the half century unscathed, Street and Lovell doing what they’ve done all season. However, Sinfield soon dismissed Lovell to make the score 1/51. Jack Clayton and Street were able to take Uni past the total and work towards building a lead. With the momentum starting to just swing back towards Uni, Redlands veteran fast bowler Simon Milenko broke through, catching the edge of Clayton to have Uni 2/107.
Full of confidence, Milenko was again the man to find the third wicket. However, it came in the form of a run out. Street played a textbook straight drive to Milenko coming round the wicket, which Milenko then stuck out his left hand turned his palm up, almost caressing the ball as one would down to third man. The ball ran straight onto the stumps, and Max Clayton was out.
Milenko continued to run through the Uni batters, Coetzee chipping to mid off and Walker pulling straight to deep square. Having it on a string, Milenko then bowled three overs of outswing to the right handed Grady. The clinical set up had Grady shoulders arms a ball which pitched on 4th stump, however it decked back in and disturbed the top of off stump. Milenko’s fifth was Nick Sale, caught at backward square flicking one off his pads. At 7/154, the Tigers could smell victory.
Bryce Street was removed by Marnus Labuschange’s leg spin for 73 to make it 8/166. Will Crook and Matt Willans were able to get the score to over 200, keeping the unlikely reverse outright result alive. Sinfield eventually took the last two wickets, his ninth and tenth for the match. Uni all out 206, Redlands set 110 for victory.
Redlands lost Liam Smith to be 1/19, which paired Muller and Heazlett at the crease. The pair hit 15 boundaries between them, continuously chipping away at the total. Muller brought up his half century off 99 balls, before Heazlett finished on 52 off 101. A classy cut shot for 4 saw Heazlett move past 50, but more importantly pass the Uni score. Redlands Tigers Cam Battersby Cup winners for season 2022/23!
Sinfield finished with 10 wickets for the match, while Milenko had 5 fa and a run out in the second innings. It was a clinical win for Redlands, who gained ascendancy in the match on day 1 and never released the pressure.
In other grades, South Brisbane took out both the 2nd and 5th grade premierships. Souths Seconds beat Gold Coast outright in a strong display, showing why they were on top of the ladder all season. Souths Fifths chased 273 to beat the home team Norths, a memorable victory for the Magpies who were strongly supported by their Second Graders and shared the joys of winning together.
Norths Third Grade secured the rare reverse outright. Playing at home, Norths lost first innings to Uni, falling 20 short of the target score of 250. Norths then rolled Uni for 80, before chasing the 100 runs in the second innings no wickets down and with ease. Norths Fourth Grade also secured the premiership on the adjacent home field, defeating Valley outright. Valley 1 defeated Redlands in Sixth Grade.