AFTER 25 long years and four failed grand final attempts, the George Bonner - Royal Hotel Cup is finally in CYMS’ trophy cabinet after the green and golds thumped Cowra by 66 runs on Friday night.
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And it’s all thanks to Sam Dwyer.
The 22-year-old stunned Cowra, and the bumper Wade Park crowd, with one of the greatest Royal Hotel Cup performances in the competition’s history.
Opening the batting for CYMS, Dwyer smashed 66 from 33 balls - he reached his half century off just 18 balls, in the fourth over - as CYMS made 7-143 from its 20 overs.
Dwyer then ripped through the blockbuster Cowra batting line-up, taking 5-8 off just 2.5 overs, helping his side dismiss the visitors for just 77.
“That was the most incredible performance I’ve ever seen in a game of cricket,” CYMS skipper Hamish Finlayson said.
“My hat is off to Sam Dwyer, that was amazing.”
Dwyer put CYMS in a formidable position after Finlayson won the toss and batted first, combining in a 70-run opening stand with Nick Wright (12), from only six overs.
With the green and golds sitting pretty at 1-70 with more than half their innings left they looked set for a massive, 200-plus score.
But, Cowra skipper Mick Curtale (3-18) led a stunning fightback from the visitors, in which they restricted CYMS to 73 runs from the last 14 overs, finishing on 7-143.
“It wasn’t as many as we wanted, or maybe should have got, but I was 100 per cent certain it was enough when we went out to field,” Finlayson said.
“I back our bowling attack against anyone, but credit to Cowra, they did an amazing job to peg us back the way they did, but we knew we could defend 143.”
And defend it they did.
Curtis Free (1-9) snared the scalp of Connor Crook (0) in the first over of the innings, while Al Dhatt (1-19) dismissed Brendan Traves (15) in his third over to see Cowra sitting precariously at 2-28 after six overs.
Danger man Curtale, a Western Zone batsman, and Pete Guthrie (26) tried to spur a comeback, adding 31 for the third wicket but when Hugh Le Lievre (2-16) dismissed the former for 10 the game was all but won for CYMS.
Dwyer then sealed the victory, taking five wickets in the space of 17 balls to see Cowra bowled out for just 77.
“How good,” Finlayson said, just minutes after accepting the trophy from Orange District Cricket Association president Mark Frecklington.
“It’s absolutely outstanding, I’m a little bit lost for words actually.”
A disappointed yet still upbeat Curtale lauded CYMS, and added his side will return in 2015-16 to try and go one better.
“It is a bit (disappointing), but Sammy (Dwyer) just came out and middled them from the start,” Curtale said.
“Our backs were against the wall from then on, and then their new ball bowlers just strangled us early. Eight or nine an over from the start is always tough, it’s not like on TV, we’re park cricketers.
“But, they outplayed us, it’s that simple. They deserved it, and that’s cricket.”
