The 2021-22 Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association Dycer Constructions T20 Big Bash burst into life in dramatic style with a classic encounter between Mil Lel and Millicent at Frew Park on Thursday night.
The Pool A battle was a captivating contest which went down until the final over where Josh Smith’s golden arm ensured the home side held off a rampaging opponent by five runs.
New Mil Lel captain Logan Gibbs won his first toss and unleashed his aggressive opening bats Smith and Will Rowland onto the Millicent attack.
The pair smashed 39 runs from the first five overs, but the visitors swung the game around.
After battling to break free Rowland skied a Jase Bateman off the top edge to Dylan Clough at cover before Carey Megaw was adjudged lbw three balls later.
Jacob Carger made sure his exceptional opening over started and finished with a wicket when he claimed the huge scalp off Smith.
With Mil Lel losing 3/9 in nine balls with its opener leaving the crease having struck 34 off 19, Millicent was licking its lips.
Mil Lel’s respective two day and T20 captains Jack Miller and Smith were determined to dig their team out of the hole and showed some promise until Clough clean bowled the latter with his third ball.
Miller continued to build momentum alongside the destructive Henry Smith after two quick wickets during their short, but effective stand.
Henry Smith hit two sixes off Clough until the bowler had the last laugh, while Miller compiled a well-made 25.
When Miller was bowled by Carger, Mil Lel eyed a solid score having reached the 100-run mark with three overs to go, but Millicent applied the brakes.
Clough, Carger and Jaxon Cushion were excellent at the death to restrict Mil Lel to 9/113.
Clough and Carger were leaders of the attack with combined figures of 7/33 from eight overs.
The early overs of Millicent’s run chase were critical and Zach Jones and Sam Kent stepped up to the task going at a almost nine runs an over.
However, the introduction of Carey Megaw undone their good work by removing Kent and Clough in consecutive deliveries.
Jones remained and sped to 30 until Smith broke his defenses, while Jack Francis’ 17-ball stay only netted three runs and Megaw put an end to hos misery.
With 61 runs from 50 balls required, Millicent needed to put the foot down and Tye McManus and Jake Wight rose to the occasion.
The pair put the hosts on their toes with a series of boundaries until Gibbs brought himself on and sparked another momentum swing.
The Mil Lel captain dismissed McManus (15) and Wight (12) in consecutive balls just when Millicent looked to steal the game, while Megaw picked up his third victim minutes later.
Despite losing partners at the other end, Carger wanted to be the man to steer Millicent home and a big over against Rowland brought the target within reach.
The atmosphere was at fever pitch at frew Park as Gibbs charged in chasing a hat-trick against the visitors’ big hope.
Although Gibbs missed out on the hat-trick, one ball later he got his man after Henry Smith’s heroic match-winning catch.
Carger looked to take down the Mil Lel captain, but mistimed the slog into the sky which landed in the fielder’s hands after Henry Smith perfectly timed his run back with the flight.
The big moment left Millicent’s last wicket pair with nine runs to win from the final over and they could not hit Josh Smith’s smart bowling outside off stump.
Cushion tried to improvise targeting the fine leg boundary on the final ball, but was trapped lbw to confirm Mil Lel’s win after it stayed cool under pressure.
