CONSISTENCY with the ball and batting heroics from captain Daniel Kinghorn lifted Portland Colts to Sungold Cup glory.
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The Colts claimed the $15,000-to-win Twenty20 tournament with a six-wicket defeat of West Warrnambool at Allansford’s Uebergang Oval yesterday.
The triumph, in front of a bumper crowd basking in sunny Australia Day weather, came after a semi-final win against St Mary's earlier in the day.
They became the seventh different winner in tournament history and the first from the Portland and District Cricket Association.
“It’s magnificent. It takes a lot of functions and raffle tickets to make that sort of cash. For us to win that, it’s unbelievable, we’re absolutely rapt,” Kinghorn said.
“We’ll have a chat with our committee and see what they’ve got in mind. I’m sure we’ll put it to good use.”
Portland Colts started the final as underdogs but, after losing the toss and bowling first, quickly worked their way into the match.
Opening bowlers Dylan Barr and Matheau Banks took three early wickets before Mathew Belden got in on the act to have the Panthers reeling at 6-35.
But a rearguard knock from Michael Threlfall, 27 not out, lifted them to 8-97. Belden, who took three wickets in his first nine balls, finished with 3-16.
The below-par score seemed enough when Colts collapsed to 4-12 in reply.
They could’ve been 5-12 had Paul Campbell’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end from square leg received reward from the umpire.
But Kinghorn, who won the Robert Haberfield trophy for man of the match, and Adam Barbary steadied the ship. They added an unbeaten 86 as the Colts reached 4-98 with 18 balls to spare.
Kinghorn finished with 48 not out, including three sixes and two boundaries. He smashed 16 off Hawken’s last over and also took to Ben Threlfall.
Not to be outdone was Barbary, who was less explosive in making 35 not out. Two of his four boundaries came in the last over.
“We’re pretty rapt really to come away with that win,” Kinghorn said.
“West Warrnambool are a quality side. We had them on the ropes there and they accumulated some runs late in the day and put on a competitive total.
“For us to be 4-12 and come away with that sort of victory is sensational.
“I was in there at 3-12 and ran one of my partners out for a diamond duck. When I did that, all the worst thoughts go through your mind. “Me and Adam Barbary thought if we can bat time, bat 10 overs and put a partnership on we might be somewhere close to it.
“We got closer and closer and managed to get some boundary balls and it got a bit easier after that.”
West Warrnambool coach Dean Hurford said he “couldn’t be prouder” of his side, which has endured an up-and-down season to date. “I spoke to them after the game and said ‘if someone told me that we’re going to play in the Sungold Cup final on the Australia Day long weekend, the way we’d been playing before Christmas, I would’ve said they were kidding themselves’,” he said.
“This group has come a long way. Some good cricket was just around the corner.”