With the animosity between the two clubs it shaped as a real grudge match, with Hanwood keen to upend a great year for the Coly team.

The Nomads went in to the game having only lost two games all season, one of which was against their grand final opponent, but the Coly boys were quietly confident and determined to topple the perennial sledgers.

Captain Craig Mark continued the season form by losing the toss and Hanwood elected to bat first, commencing its innings with its two linchpin players.

Hanwood started out well until Tom Fuller got a faint edge off McWhirter and he was sent packing for just two runs.

The next wicket did not fall until the score had reached 25 and last year’s grand final star, John Byrne, was unleashed into the attack and picked up a wicket with his first ball.

Josh Shaw was bowling a fine spell and picked up the next wicket, while Andrew Boal was able to swoop in on a loose ball to create a great run out and demoralise the Hanwood team.

In the meantime, Byrne was still picking up wickets at will, finishing his spell with great figures of 5-10 off eight overs following up from last year’s grand final figures of 5-6.

Dave “Bazza” White then came into the attack and put Hanwood out of its misery by claiming the last two wickets and leaving Hanwood all out for just 44 runs with extras netting the highest score of 14.

The Hanwood batsmen may be in search of new bats before commencing the new season as they were playing better shots against the brick wall of the dressing shed than they were out on the field.

Nomad’s opening batsmen Bernie Cullen and Dave White went to the crease hoping to overhaul the total quickly and took the score to 21 before White was bowled for seven with his ears ringing from the sledging he received.

Cullen soon followed for 12.

With the score sitting on 2-23 and captain Mark getting nervous, Andrew Boal and Justin Redman were left with the task of taking the score past the 44 runs needed.