READ MORE - 20 years of run-feasts above 400 in the BDCA
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BENDIGO United's Miggy Podsoky stood at the top of his run-up with ball in hand, took a deep breath and said a prayer.
Facing Podosky down the other end was Strathdale-Maristians' No.11 Jacob DeAraugo, whose eyes darted around the White Hills' oval looking at where he could score the four runs needed for victory.
Because that's what the now-famous 2009-10 BDCA grand final had come down to - the final ball.
And it was a most remarkable 10th wicket partnership between DeAraugo and Ryan Haythorpe that elevated what was a meandering grand final with a seemingly inevitable outcome given the dire position of Strathdale in its chase to the closest flag decider in BDCA history.
At 9-139 in the 73rd over chasing Bendigo United's 9-211 all hope looked lost for the Suns, yet DeAraugo and Haythorpe remained calm in the face of adversity.
Their partnership started with the Suns requiring 73 runs off 69 balls - to say Strathdale was a long shot at best was an understatement.
Yet they whittled their target down, Haythorpe was given a life with more than 50 runs still needed for victory when dropped by Nick Crawford, and by the 85th over the pair were both still at the crease with the game well and truly alive.
The 73 needed off 69 by the Suns had become 13 off six as Podosky started the final over.
And with one ball left in the match the equation was reduced to four required for the win, or three to tie, which would have been enough for the Suns to claim the flag given they finished higher on the ladder.
Ironically, DeAraugo on strike to Podosky needing a four to win a game wasn't a new scenario - it had happened several times in their Ningana Backyard Cricket Association competition.
But this wasn't hit-and-giggle backyard cricket - the fate of the 2009-10 BDCA premiership rested on them: Podosky with the ball and DeAraugo with the bat.
History shows that DeAraugo squeezed Podosky's final delivery out to 16-year-old Harry Donegan at deep mid-wicket - he was one of nine Redbacks' fielders on the boundary.
The youngest player in the game, Donegan held his nerve, fielded the ball and under-armed it back to Podosky at the bowler's end just as Haythorpe set off for an unlikely third run.
Podosky whipped the bails off, Haythorpe was run out and the Redbacks clung on to win the flag by one run in the most remarkable of grand final finishes.
Ten seasons on from that epic grand final and with the two teams currently locked in battle in round six of the BDCA, here's a look back at the memorable battle with those who were part of it.
MIGGY PODOSKY
(Bendigo United)
Then a 20-year-old playing his second season of first XI cricket. Bowled the final over of the match that started with the Suns needing 13 to win.
"I remember watching the footage back the next day and seeing me sucking in air for about six seconds before bowling the first ball of the last over because I needed to calm down.
"I wanted all the balls to be yorkers on off-stump, but the execution didn't come off for a few of them (DeAraugo smashed the fourth ball straight down the ground for four, leaving the equation six off two to win).
"When it got to the last ball I remember being at the top of my mark, taking another deep breath and saying a prayer. Mattress (Matt Pinniger, captain) had just spoken to me and said, 'it's just got to be full, make sure he can't get under it'.
"I had been fairly good with my yorkers throughout the season and they had got me quite a few wickets. I basically wanted a yorker on middle stump where if Jake misses I hit and we win.
"I was worried about the front-foot no-ball as well, so I moved my marker back a bit, charged in, bowled and he was able to squeeze it out to Harry (Donegan) at mid-wicket.
"I don't remember there being any noise from the crowd because I was just in the zone as Harry picked the ball up. I thought he was going to fire it back in at my end, so I was ready for that, but he under-armed it back.
"Jake and Ryan were both running and I was going to throw the ball down the other end but Wanga (Bendigo United wicket-keeper Wayne Fidler) wasn't at his end.
"I nearly let go of the ball, but I was able to turn around and knock the bails off at the bowler's end.
"It's the most hectic five minutes of cricket I can remember and just an unbelievable finish to be part of."
JACOB DeARAUGO
(Strathdale-Maristians)
Was on strike for the final delivery of the game when the Suns needed four to win or three to tie.
"Miggy was executing his yorkers fairly well, so for the last ball I went away from my normal stance and moved back in my crease to, hopefully, try to get it on the half volley if he bowled another one.
"But in the end I almost yorked myself doing that, which makes me think that had I stayed in the crease it would have been a low full toss.
"With all the fielders on the boundary I was thinking I'd have to go over the top for six and was eyeing off the short boundary on the Botanical Gardens side.
"So I had that in mind, but it was very well bowled by Miggy and all I could manage was to get two, which he still likes to remind me about.
"Miggy and I are good mates and we'd played the situation out in the backyard a few times of me needing to score a four off the last ball to beat him, so it's a bit surreal the way it ended up playing out that day in a grand final."
RYAN HAYTHORPE
(Strathdale-Maristians)
Scored 54 batting at No.10 after coming to the wicket with the Suns 8-129.
"I remember the field was reasonably spread so we were working on getting mainly ones and twos with the odd boundary.
"We were able to tick the runs over reasonably well without having to do anything too silly, and I remember having a bit of luck when Crawf (Nick Crawford) dropped me at point.
"When it got down to the last ball Jake was on strike and I knew that I just had to run... I didn't see where he hit it, but I took off.
"I got back for the second and remember Miggy having the ball back in his hand and Jake coming back for the third.
"I then basically panicked and ran and Miggy was able to run me out.
"In hindsight though I should have waited for Jake to get up to my end and then taken off and made Miggy need to have a throw at the other end.
"And I've since learned that apparently Wayne Fidler had left his stumps at the keepers end and there was no-one down that end.
"If I had waited it could have ended up being Miggy and I having a foot race to the other end, but unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.
"It was disappointing to lose by one run, but I got over it pretty quick afterwards because never did I think we'd be able to win from the position we were in.
"It's not as though we had the game won and then lost it; we were always up against it from where we were coming from."
HARRY DONEGAN
(Bendigo United)
The 16-year-old was fielding at mid-wicket where the final ball was hit to.
"I thought there was a fair chance the ball could be coming to me because if you're needing to hit a four mid-wicket is probably where you're looking.
"When I saw it coming out my way I was just hoping it wasn't coming at pace. Luckily it wasn't coming very fast and I was able to get it back in to Miggy with an underarm and he took the bails off."
WAYNE FIDLER
(Bendigo United)
Wicket-keeper who left his end on the final ball to instead go and back-up Podosky at the bowler's end, leaving the stumps at the batting end without protection had Donegan thrown to that end.
"I was 99 per cent sure that once Harry got the ball he was going to throw to Miggy's end and not mine. Because everyone was on the boundary and Harry being only 16, I didn't know whether he was going to throw it in full pelt to Miggy and it may have gone over his head or anything like that to cause an overthrow for them to win the game.
"Someone needed to be backing up, so I left my post to back Miggy up and Harry remained really calm under pressure. He under-armed it back into Miggy, so luckily, I wasn't needed.
"But if someone else had been backing up I obviously would have stayed at the stumps up my end."
MATT PINNIGER
(Bendigo United)
Captain of the Redbacks.
"I remember thinking during Jake and Ryan's partnership how hard they were too stop because they were committed to run and we had our blokes out on the boundary.
"In those last overs there was plenty going through my mind in terms of where do I want the field, who do I want to bowl next and it wasn't until that last over started that I probably realised just how tight it was getting.
"I started thinking about what happens if it's a tie and who wins, so there was a fair bit going on. I remember just being unbelievably relieved and exhausted at the end of the game.
"And I still remember that had the throw gone to the keeper's end on the last ball there was nobody there. Thankfully, Harry threw it into Miggy at the bowler's end."
LINTON JACOBS
(Strathdale-Maristians)
Captain of the Suns.
"Looking back it really was an amazing finish. We were 4-110 at one stage with Howie (Craig Howard) and Dom (Dom Taylor) going well and I was feeling confident that we'd be able to get home.
"Then to be about 9-140 when Jake and Thorpy came together needing 70-odd in just over 10 overs... at that stage you're just hoping they can stay in the game and take it as deep as possible.
"I remember Thorpy getting dropped on 20-odd by Crawf (he was 23) and that maybe something special could go our way.
"Thorpy and Jake were both unbelievable in their partnership and to fall one run short obviously stings, but I think that was a bit of a watershed day for us as a group.
"Even though we didn't win we found out no matter what situation a game is we're always in it and I think that set the tone for our success going forward over the next few years."
Strathdale would go on to win five of the next six premierships, including beating Bendigo United in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.
NICK CRAWFORD
(Bendigo United)
Dropped a straight-forward catch off Haythorpe from the bowling of Marcus Smalley with the Suns still more than 50 runs from victory.
"It was a front foot slice drive that came straight to me. It hit the palm of my hand and bounced straight out.
"We still had more than 50 runs up our sleeve to play with at the time, but they started to get some momentum over the next few overs and I guess that feeling you get when you drop a catch started to get more magnified.
"I remember Jake hitting me into the emu enclosure of the Botanical Gardens to get them within 30 runs or so and that was the end of me with the ball for the day. After I dropped that catch my bowling just fell right away."
MAX TAYLOR
The umpire at the bowler's end for the final over.
"There was enormous pressure on everyone... we (fellow umpire Shane Gilchrist) knew they were going to be running full-on if they didn't hit a boundary on the last ball, so we had to be ready for what would unfold.
"A premiership coming down to one ball... it doesn't get any bigger than that."
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