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Thursday, June 9, 2016

Hutton Cup Finals 2016: 3) Boston Swifts VS. 9) Pacific Volcanoes

This is it for the cricket season, acting as the prelude to the pool tournament's finals day with a finals series of its own. The Swifts and Volcanoes have done well to get this far, but only one can lift the cup. We begin with...


Coca-Cola Field, Boston: Game 1: The Swifts swept the season series, but the Volcanoes have been more resilient in the playoffs. Starlight opened the game with 264 for Pacific, a middling start from the captain. Patches answered with 544 for Boston, giving them the initial lead in this game. Ms. Kitty suffered a bad deflection that ended her turn at 145 for the Volcanoes, failing to cover the deficit. Puff II answered with 433 for the Swifts, extending their lead quite nicely at the halfway mark. Jack undid that damage, slashing 439 for Pacific to keep them in range for now. Gradley stood strong for Boston, flicking 457 to keep their lead safe with a player each to go. Leonette played a solid game, producing 375 for the Volcanoes, but they'll take the first loss with 1223 overall. Sweetheart went a bit soft with 271 for the Swifts, but they got the win with 1705. Boston leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Starlight lost a bit more steam in this game, with only 208 for Pacific as they'll likely play from behind again. Patches turned a bit streaky with 145 for Boston, putting them behind narrowly at the start of a lower-scoring game. Ms. Kitty carved out 548 for the Volcanoes this time, extending their lead quite a bit. Puff II couldn't do anything about a ball going over her head, and she was forced to stop at 209 for the Swifts. Jack added 350 for Pacific as they begin to run away with this game. Gradley picked up 311, going with good pace but not for a long enough time to really help Boston get back in the game. Leonette faltered with 21 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1127 as their final, with a bit of vulnerability late in the game. Sweetheart came up big with 554 for the Swifts, saving the day as they completed a comeback to win with 1219. Boston leads the series 2-0 thanks to the heroics by Sweetheart, and they'll take that lead on the road.


Verizon Field, Pacific: Game 3. The Volcanoes hope some home cooking will save their season. Patches had only 69 for Boston after taking a 50% penalty for a false start, and that's not a good start for the visitors. Starlight improved in the home appearance, scoring 384 to stake out a Pacific lead. Puff II covered the deficit with 426 for the Swifts, giving them a narrow lead. Ms. Kitty picked the worst time to stumble, scoring a pathetic 8 for the Volcanoes and drawing the ire of her captain. Gradley took 231, far from the confident effort Boston would have preferred from their underrated veteran. Jack covered the deficit quite narrowly, using theatrics with the bat to collect 361 and give Pacific an edge late in the game. Sweetheart went big again at the end for the Swifts, posting 550 to give them a final of 1276, setting a high bar for the hosts to clear. Leonette came up short with 227 for the Volcanoes despite her nice pace, and they lost with 980. Boston leads 3-0 in the series, but the last two games could have gone either way were it not for Sweetheart.

Game 4: The Swifts are trying to close out the series against a deep-running Volcanoes side. Patches, clearly energized by the previous game's comeback, belted 983 for Boston to set the tone in their potential clincher. Starlight fired back with 780 for Pacific, keeping them in range early on. Puff II could have been better, but her 271 still leaves the Swifts with a decent lead. Ms. Kitty had a 50% penalty for her false start, a very inopportune time for such a thing, and she added just 129 for the Volcanoes. Gradley clobbered another 512, extending the Boston lead as the few traveling fans start to bounce in their seats. Jack further hurt Pacific's chances, also suffering a 50% penalty for a false start, and that cut his score to 191 as the deficit grows larger. Sweetheart tapped 281 more for the Swifts, giving them 2047 to finish with. Leonette came up short again with 263, putting the Volcanoes in a loss with 1363. As Road Trippin' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers blares through the stadium speakers, the Swifts hoist the Len M. Hutton Cup after their 4-0 sweep.

The MVP of the playoffs went to Patches, the Swifts captain, who was streaky more often than not, but she set the tone. Said Patches: "It's great to finally get my hands on a trophy for the city. We've been in the playoffs a lot and we've got a good team, but we've always been a bit short, and now we have something to show for all the hard work. This is the best feeling we've had. We're a great, really tight team, and we are very proud to own the Hutton Cup for a year."

Puff II: "Obviously, I'm a bit distracted by having a pool final today as well, but it's great to get this win for Boston, and the whole region really. We might all be rivals, but they'll be happy to know they got beat by the best. Southeast pride!"

Gradley: "I've been here for the entire cricket era, and we've always been in the playoffs. This year we had a good fight for a division title. The Tradewinds took that, but we got the big prize, and that's all that really matters at the end of the year. I know I'm looking forward to defending this title next year, and I know my teammates are as well. It'll be a fun year.

Sweetheart: "This wasn't my best year in the red and black, but I'm glad I could make an impact when the team needed it most. We had some shaky games their, and to be that supplementary scorer, that veteran presence, it's a role you don't always want to be but the team needs it. It took all four of us being brilliant at different times. That's what makes this Swifts team so dangerous, and what will keep us dangerous for years to come. I know I'll be back next season, despite the rumors. They're only rumors after all."

Pacific captain Starlight: "They played us well in every game, had a different player beat us each time. We got a bit unlucky with the bounces, but we should have carried a series lead into game 4 and we couldn't close out games, so this is where we are. We'll grow from this loss and be better next year."

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