Kwaapoc commenced its second attempt at success in September 2001. Our first two games were losses. We were hanging onto a top four spot from the six points we were awarded for our volunteer umpires, Greg, Peter, Matty and Noel in round two. It didn’t look promising. Then our comprehensive thrashing of UTS started Kwaapoc on a journey that would climax at the highest peak of emotion and that I will always remember as the One Moment in Time.

From 15 games we won 10, lost 3 and drew 2. We were undefeated in our last 10 games and lost only 1 game in our last 13. We won our last 4 games and won 5 games outright. It was our amazing ability to convert wins to outright wins that enabled us to finish Minor Premiers ahead of Newtown, who only lost 1 game during the home and away season.

Having reached the final, I felt comfortable with our achievements even if we were to lose. I was very nervous about our semi final though. Imagining losing to a team that finished 35 points behind us was scary.

The Saturday was a mixture of bad and worse. Personally, having scored 53, I was happy with my effort being my second fifty for the season. As the captain, I was hopeful, but not confident. After all, a team that scores only 118 rarely deserves to win. It was more a matter of what we could restrict the lead to. We started well taking a wicket in the fourth over having them 1 for 4 with Peter taking a sensational reflex catch at short mid-wicket.

Sam indicated to me that he wanted to take himself off. I suggested to Greg that I might bowl spin, at which he disapproved. I had forgotten all about the knee injury which I aggravated on Wednesday night (stupidly) playing a soccer trial match. I came in to bowl my first ball. As my (right) back leg landed, the knee twisted, much worse than it did on Wednesday night. I cannot imagine experiencing pain more than that. It was excruciating at best. The only way I could cope was to scream and yell as loud as my lungs would let me. It lasted for a good minute before it started to subside. I felt like such a loser, thinking I had let the team down, hence the unstoppable stream of tears that started pouring from my eyes. Being escorted from the field, all I could think of was no, no, no, no. At stumps they were 1 for 33.

My miraculous recovery overnight gave us a positive start to the day, however our inability to dismiss their awkward opener cost us. By the time we dismissed him in the 21^st over, he had scored a frustrating 49. Three quick wickets had them 4 for 74 and we were in with a sniff. However, they eventually passed our score 7 wickets down. We bowled them out in the last over before lunch (a key time in the match) for 132, a 14 run deficit. Little did we know, but we were about to experience 5 hours of ups and downs and ups. This would include a batting display to end all batting displays followed by 52 overs of nail biting bowling and fielding.

The mood at lunch was sombre and reflective. Another turning point believe it or not was Gino having contact lens problems. He relegated himself down the order saying, "I’m gonna go in and just smash’em".

Again the batting was disappointing except for myself. Gino came in when we were 3 for 87 in the 19^th over of which I was 70. I was on fire having hit 5 sixes and 4 fours off just 27 scoring shots. Then the most amazing hour of cricket you will ever see happened before our very eyes. Gino raced passed me to end up on 99 off less than 12 overs. I had only added 27. We put on what must be a record Kwaapoc partnership of 130. He hit 23 (3x6, 1x4 & 1x1) and 24 (4x6) respectively off the 26^th and the 28^th over off the same bowler. Gino was
unlucky not to get his 100, taking him only 28 scoring shots to get his 99. The Tamils were speechless. They did not have a clue of what had hit them.

I would like to thank the guys for giving Gino and I the opportunity to score 100. We should have declared about 6 overs earlier and had a crack at them before tea for about 5 overs. Having scored 53 and then 100 not out and putting the team in a winning position, after sustaining the horrendous injury, which I thought had let the team down, was a bit too much for this cookie to handle. God bless wives for stating the obvious. "You’ve got a tear in your eye" she says.

Anyway, the next 2 and half-hours were full of drama and passion. Riding every ball and celebrating every wicket like our lives depended on it. You thought it was tense out in the field? Try being the captain. Thinking of field placing’s and bowling changes to try and make things happen, and at the same time encouraging the players. But I loved every minute of it.

At the start of the last 20 overs, we only needed 4 wickets. It took us til the tenth over in to make the breakthrough. It was the result of an unusual bowling change. Off his first ball, Peter took an amazing caught and bowled that was smashed back at him, above and behind his head. Noel, who’d had a disappointing game by his standards, took the next 2 wickets. They were both LBW’s. Again, thanks to me for not giving up on getting an independent umpire, even though it was 9.30pm on Friday night when Umpire Daryl Hill agreed to stand in the final. The scenario was now this. We had three overs (18 balls) to take the last wicket and snap victory from the jaws of defeat. Sam was now bowling the last over and on the third ball of the over, the batsmen edged the ball, which fell short of the fieldsman. Most of us thought that was the chance, and with only three balls left I would rather have been in their shoes.

It seemed to take forever between balls. All kinds of thoughts were going through my head. We declared too late, we declared too late. Then please God, please God. I can’t believe we’re going to lose after I scored a century and Gino 99. I can’t believe we’re going to lose after I scored a century and Gino 99.Why why why, please please please.

I was standing at leg slip, hopeful as hell and an optimistic as a black man at a KKK meeting. Would I be shattered and just drop to the floor and cry for hours or would I…could I …oh, don’t get too excited. I don’t want to lose now, not by one wicket. We don’t deserve to lose, I don’t deserve to lose, please let us win.

Then on the third last ball of the season, the two guys that have been cousins all their lives, combined for a better than orgasmic finale` to create that One Moment in Time. Sam bowled the perfect ball and Domenic, the Super Sub, took a brilliant forward diving catch with a slight juggle at second slip. We all leapt in unison as Umpire Daryl Hill put his finger up.

For all that participated and witnessed this great and historic event, it will be a moment that will live with you forever. The scenes after the match were of two extremes. The Tamils not knowing how they’d just been shafted, and Kwaapoc; well, the tears, the elation, the hugs and joyous smiles made to a neutral observer obvious who the winners were.

The celebrations in the dressing room, captured on video forever by Greg for those of us who don’t remember, went on well into the night. And for some of us even later.