CRICKET Albury-Wodonga is through to the SCG Cup quarter-finals after a thrilling victory against Wagga.
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Needing 13 runs from the final seven deliveries, Wagga put itself in a winning position with a six off the last ball of the second last over.
With two wickets in hand and just seven required off the final over, Wagga didn’t count on CAW’s fighting spirit.
Matt Armstrong swung the momentum back to CAW when he bowled Dean Crane early in the over before a James Tonkin-inspired run-out three deliveries later sealed the win.
CAW coach Trent Ball paid tribute to his team’s ability to win the close games.
“We’ve been in tight games before, but we just keep winning,” he said.
“We’ve got a taste for it, and we like it.”
“Andrew Lade performed really well for us. He really set our innings up with the bat.”
“It just goes to show his quality. He hasn’t played rep cricket for a while, so to come in and do that shows just what sort of player he is,” Ball said.
CAW earlier won the toss yesterday and elected to bat in the Riverina final at Tallangatta.
It proved to be the right decision as Lade raced to 98 runs.
Tonkin also chimed in nicely with 54, taking CAW’s score to 5-250 after in its 50 overs.
Wagga’s best bowler was David Alexander, who took 2-43, in what was a tough day for the visitors in the field.
It’s problems continued with the bat when it lost two early wickets.
Wagga steadied through the hard-fought efforts of Joel Robinson and Mitch Sykes who knuckled down and made 92 and 78.
But then CAW’s bowlers re-gained control, picking up seven wickets in the last four overs.
The CWA attack was primed by Steve Wood with 3-42.
It is the third time in recent years CAW has reached the cup quarter-finals.
It will now play against the South Coast — a team of players from Illawarra, Shellharbor and Kiama — on December 28, with the semi-finals the following day.