SUBIACO Floreat clinched its sixth Premier Cricket First Grade premiership after a thrilling two-wicket win over Joondalup at the WACA yesterday .
Lions skipper Chris Hansberry proved the match-winner with a chanceless 74 not out, in an unbeaten 90-run ninth wicket stand with Andrew Holder, as the duo closed out an improbable victory for the third consecutive match.
In pursuit of Joondalup’s 284, Subiaco Floreat appeared beaten at 8-196 before the pair’s heroic partnership.
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READ NOWHansberry and Holder shared Player of the Match honours, after also taking three and six wickets respectively with the ball in restricting Joondalup on day one.
Joondalup had won the toss and chose to bat, starting briskly with retiring captain Michael Swart and Garrick Morgan at the crease, with an array of boundaries putting the Centurions on the front foot early.
A 140-run opening stand looked ominous before Swart was caught behind off Holder for a well-compiled 81, with Morgan quickly following for 76.
A monumental collapse followed, as Holder turned the game to rip through the Joondalup middle order, with the Centurions losing 7-71 as they fell to 7-211.
Some lower order hitting from Michael Johnson (39) and Ty Hopes (17) guided the side to 284, with Holder proving the pick of the bowlers with 6-85, while Hansberry chipped in with three wickets of his own.
Joondalup struck early in reply, with Simon Branston dismissing Alex Malcolm in his final fixture for seven before Anthony Murphy and Calum How built a solid foundation, finishing day one at 1-62.
Early second day strikes from Josh Anderson put Subiaco Floreat on the back foot falling to 3-101, before Nathan Coulter-Nile and Aaron Lilly steadied the ship with a blazing 79-run stand.
Coulter-Nile was eventually caught at cover for 55, before Lilly fell, triggering a middle-order collapse, with Anderson again tilting the game the way of Joondalup with a fiery spell.
At 8-196, Holder and Hansberry came together; appropriately, both were there at the end.
Hansberry played a true captain’s innings, putting away boundaries while patient in defence as his Subiaco Floreat side pulled ever closer to 284.
Fittingly, Hansberry hammered a boundary backward of point to seal a famous victory for the Lions, with the skipper finishing unbeaten on 74, while Holder was stoic with 13 not out.
The pair combined for 218 runs throughout the finals earning Subiaco Floreat the premiership.