Today, we complete the Club Cricket Challenge, crowning the top club from the remaining four. First up, the semifinals, beginning with...
Prime hosting Humanity Senior 1 after receiving the option to play the first semifinal series. Kayla attacked with great pace, scoring 659 for HS1 on the initial turn. Acorn started casually and then surged to 839 for Prime, putting them ahead after the first turn. Chelsea tried to attack with pace, but she deflected a ball into her wicket to end at 274 as HS1 falls into a tough position. Snuggle answered with 625 for Prime, his poor group stage form a distant memory now. Jennifer had only 220 for HS1, facing resistance from the opponents' bowling. Sweetheart kept the Prime offense healthy, attacking with 681 to boost their lead. Caitlin caught a ball behind her bat on a backswing, ending with 225 as HS1 takes another stumble. Strut blasted 792 for Prime, continuing their relentless attack at the game's midpoint. Chris had a solid 416 for HS1, but it isn't likely to spark a comeback for the overwhelmed visitors. Oreo covered the damage with 456 for Prime, showing that they plan to back off from their attacking pace. Steven managed 313 for HS1, hardly making an impact for his team. Delila added a little more with 527 for Prime, who are well on their way to the final game now. Zach posted 445 for HS1, a hollow victory for him personally after three games on the bench. Goatee took a stumble at 145 for Prime, although the misstep is not likely to impact the result of the game. Shawn cobbled 504 together for HS1 at the end, leaving them at 3056 in their only loss in the competition. Mr. Snowman had only 96 for Prime, finishing their win at 4161. Prime is in the final, with the opponent determined by the winner of the next game.
Arguably the most dangerous team, Reality takes on the Cinderella-style Celebrity in the second semifinal. Lorde continued to be a dangerous starter for Celebrity, recording 514 to start this game. Patches edged Reality ahead with 550 on her turn, making it a close start. Sydney S. kept the pace consistent with 582 for Celebrity on the second attack. Spice answered with 714, restoring a slightly larger lead for Reality. Pauline fell at 304 for Celebrity, a slightly early exit that just covers the deficit. Dusty had a rough turn, hitting only 245 for Reality as their lead takes a small hit. Charli provided a stronger challenge with 407 for Celebrity, continuing the back-and-forth nature of this game. Puff II countered with 392, her conservative start not covered by a later surge. Mario continued to pressure the opposition, pulling in 480 as Celebrity proves persistent. Boots finally got Reality out of their rut, slamming 676 to gain a little separation. Daisy didn't meet the challenge, her middling 245 keeping Celebrity behind. Starlight covered the damage with 405 for Reality, a good move at this stage in the game. Taylor S. covered the deficit with 500 for Celebrity, reminding the hosts that it's not yet over. Twilight lost some of the lead with 361 on her turn, but Reality just needs to hold on for one more turn to advance. Melissa gathered 481 for Celebrity, forcing the hosts to respond to their final score of 3513. Twinkie I did enough with 405 to scrape Reality to a win at 3748. Reality's close call will have them on edge a bit more in the final.
Prime now faces Reality with the Club Cricket Challenge championship on the line as the top two teams clash. Patches gave 502 for Reality to build upon in the final. Acorn answered with 640 for Prime on their first turn, pulling the top-seeded team ahead. Spice replied with 545 for Reality, keeping their attacking pace strong. Snuggle took a step back with 467 for Prime, but they retain the lead through two turns. Dusty faltered again with just 64 for Reality, barely enough to cover the deficit. Sweetheart muscled up for 823 to give Prime a commanding lead. Puff II got stymied at 96 for Reality on her turn, deepening the deficit they face. Strut popped 407 to boost the Prime lead again at the midway mark of their championship march. Boots replied with 490 for Reality in an attempt to get their offense back on track. Oreo faded at 200 for Prime, potentially causing the tides to shift in this game's second half. Starlight attacked with 674 for Reality, carving most of the deficit out of the way. Delila mitigated the damage with 605 for Prime, keeping them comfortably ahead at the moment. Twilight couldn't make much on her turn with only 115, likely dooming Reality's comeback effort. Goatee didn't help the Prime cause much with 185 on her turn, but their lead remains large with one player left on each team. Twinkie I had some big swings, but fell at 264, confirming Reality's loss at 2750 thanks to Prime's unrelenting play on both sides of the ball. Easter's 308 capped Prime's win at 3635, a below-average effort but enough to claim the competition's Championship title.
Prime goes into next season with a special sense of unity among its members, who came together out of their own former clubs. Acorn is the MVP of the competition, as Prime's captain set the tone on offense with the first turn in all of their games and a competition single-game high score of 1684 when they clinched the #1 seed in the final group game against Humanity Junior.
Cricket will be out of action until the start of the regular season on January 1st, which will feature a 3-hour bonanza in the Select circuit. I am expecting the Heart of the Game 13-ball preseason pool tournament to begin shortly after the new year, with qualifiers likely during February and March.
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