HUNTLY-North Epsom captain Elliott Massina confesses he's not a religious man, but he has no doubt the cricketing gods smiled on him and his team in the lead-up to the weekend's BDCA grand final.
The Power thrashed the red-hot favourites Golden Square by 83 runs - the win set up by Taylor-Walsh medallist Mitch Whittle, who wasn't declared a certain starter until after training on Thursday night after an inner ear complication had looked likely to end his season.
But against the odds Whittle took his place in the side and produced a grand final spell that will become the stuff of BDCA legend.
Against the best batting line-up in the competition Whittle had the extraordinary figures of 5-0 from his first 20 balls, paving the way for the Power to bowl Golden Square out for 128.
"I don't have a religious bone in my body, but something happened for us when it was only a week-and-half-ago that Mitch was severely injured and didn't look like he'd play for six months," Massina said post-game.
"For him to come out yesterday and do what he did was just unbelievable.
"The perfect case scenario for us was we'd get three spells of four overs out of him and we'd have to use him sparingly on and off the ground.
"He got through four overs and had four wickets and said he wanted one more and then got another wicket.
"I've never seen anything like it. He hit really good lengths and it was a bit overcast, so there was a little bit there for him. He just hit a dangerous length where the batsmen didn't know whether to play forward or back.
"The ball he bowled Scott Woodman with would have got Test cricketers out. It went out with the air and then came back in off the seam and I'm just so happy for Mitch. He's come through the Huntly juniors and for him to have a game like that in the grand final and win the medal is just sensational."
Whittle's early demolition reduced Golden Square to 5-11 after just 30 minutes - albeit after Tim Wood (6) hit Adam Ward (1-44) over mid-wicket for six first ball of the game.
"Woodsy has been a real thorn in our side, so I was thinking here we go again when he hit that first ball for six," Massina said.
"He hits the ball so hard, but thankfully, Mitch got him caught behind in the next over."
As well as Whittle's five-for, the Power victory also featured a premiership century to opening batsman Ryan Grundy in Huntly-North Epsom's 2-211.
Grundy finished unbeaten on 100, which included earlier taking the Power past its target when he clipped Square's Corey Van Aken (1-33) to fine leg for one of his 13 boundaries.
"Reg's ability to bat big periods of time has been super important in our side," Massina said.
"We've got blokes like (Danushka) Wijemanna and Wardy (Adam Ward) who can score at a run-a-ball, so to have a player who can legitimately face 200 balls every time he goes out there has given us the glue in our top order.
"Reg deserves every run he makes because he hits more balls than anyone I've seen at this level and I couldn't be more happier for him."
The Power may well have had two century-makers in its team had the game continued beyond the 27 overs bowled on Sunday, with Danushka Wijemanna left unbeaten on 89.
Wijemanna and Grundy put on an unbroken 138 for the third wicket - that partnership alone outscoring Golden Square by 10 runs.
The Power's victory - its first premiership since the merger of the North Bendigo senior and Huntly junior clubs in 2001-02 - came after it won just two games last season, and started this season on the ropes at 0-3.
However, from its shaky start, Sunday's grand final victory made it 10 wins in their past 12 games, while Golden Square was left to lament an opportunity blown big time.
Square had been the clear standout side of the home and away rounds, finishing 14 points clear on top of the ladder, but served up its worst performance on the biggest of stages.
"It's hugely disappointing, but full credit to Huntly... they bowled and batted really well," said Square captain Ben Gunn, who made one of the six ducks in the Bulldogs' innings when he was out first ball to Whittle.
"Unfortunately, our batsmen just weren't up to it."
One Golden Square batsman, though, did prove up to it - opener Ryan Hartley.
While the wickets tumbled around him, Hartley dug in and batted through the entire innings for an unbeaten 87.
Given there were also eight extras in the total of 128, Square's other 10 batsmen contributed just 33 runs between them.
"Ryan was brilliant and that adds more salt to the wounds that he was able to bat all through the innings and we couldn't get any of our top order to go with him," Gunn said.
"If we had someone to bat with him and get up around 200 then you never know in a grand final, but we didn't have anyone do it."
Wood (6), Gunn (0), Scott Woodman (0), Scott Trollope (10) and Liam Smith (8) went into the grand final as Square's top five run-scorers for the season, averaging a combined 204.9, but made just 24 runs between them.
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