BENDIGO'S Sporties Spitfires are the Goulburn Valley Bush Bash League champions in their inaugural season in the competition.
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The Spitfires defeated the Hurley Hotel Hounds by three wickets with five balls to spare in Sunday's final at Rochester's Windridge Oval.
After winning the toss and batting the Hounds posted 9-122 off their 20 overs.
The Hounds had the scoreboard ticking over early, racing to 3-65 off their first eight overs.
However, the Spitfires were able to put the brakes on the Hounds with regular wickets, with the defending champions falling to 7-94 after 15 overs.
It was spin that proved to be decisive in the Spitfires slowing up the Hounds.
The spin trio of Kyle Humphrys (2-31), captain Liam Smith (2-11) and James Seymour (2-18) combined for 6-60 off 12 overs.
As well as the spinners taking two wickets each, pacemen Chathura Damith (1-22) and Luke Stagg (1-27) also claimed one apiece.
Kobyn James (35), who was run out by Damith off the final ball of the innings, and No.3 Kyle Mueller (33) - a Victoria Country representative last month - were the best with the bat for the Hounds.
In reply the game was evenly poised at the halfway mark of the Spitfires' run chase.
The Spitfires were 4-65 at the 10-over mark, but crucially had marquee opening batsman Seymour still at the crease.
The Hounds turned the heat up on the Spitfires in the 12th over when left-arm spinner Savith Priyan (2-27) trapped Ben Williams (3) lbw.
At that stage the Spitfires were 5-68 off 11.2 overs, requiring 55 off 52 deliveries as Kayle Thompson - an inclusion for James Ryan - joined Seymour at the crease.
And it was Thompson who would go on to deliver the match-winning innings after the Hounds had gained the upper hand.
The Spitfires looked in trouble at 7-78 in the 15th over, with Seymour (25) among the batsmen out after being caught by Matthew Hinks off Priyan.
Decisive for the Spitfires in their surge to victory was scoring 31 runs across the 16th, 17th and 18th overs with Golden Square team-mates Thompson and Smith at the crease.
Those three big overs pushed the Spitfires to 7-117 after 18 overs and just six needed off the last two overs to win.
The Spitfires needed only seven of those remaining 12 balls to finish the job, with Thompson hitting the winning runs with a boundary off the first ball of the final over bowled by Jack Stevenson (1-24).
For his late heroics Thompson was a deserving man of the match winner, finishing 42 n.o. off 29 balls with three sixes and two boundaries as the Spitfires reached 7-126.
And Smith played the perfect supporting role late with an unbeaten 13 n.o. off 11 balls.
"While Jimmy Seymour was in we thought the game was in our favour; when he went out it put a bit of pressure on, but Kayle Thompson was superb," Spitfires captain Smith said.
"Kayle only got the call-up on Friday night and full credit to him. It was unreal what he did today to get us home.
"We had quite a few unavailabilities today, but the result shows the depth of the league. We had a squad today that all did their job and it was a great effort."
Sporties Spitfires winning team - Liam Smith (c), Zane Keighran, James Seymour, Kyle Humphrys, Werner Brand, Chathura Damith, Ben Williams, Kayle Thompson, Will Purcell, Brent Hamblin, Jake Higgins, Luke Stagg.
