Ahead of the match it proved nearly impossible to pick a favourite, and throughout the course of the afternoon the momentum swung ferociously. 

Gold took control early, with an opening stand of 89 between Tom Pender (63) and James Armstrong (20), before it was broken by Archie Wearne. 

From there, Green built momentum quickly and rolled the rest of Gold's batting lineup for a further 56 runs. 

Michael McAlister (5-23) and Archie Wearne (4-30) were the pick of Green's bowlers, particularly as the track was turning but otherwise held no particular demons. 

In reply, Gold captain Brad Smith (3-24) and returning fast bowler Mikael Webber (3-25) quickly decimated Green's top order with a combination of canniness and hostility. 

Having fallen to 6-54, Green captain Dane Stevenson took it upon himself to steady the ship batting at number six. 

With the assistance of Rory Heffernan, who chipped in with an obdurate 15, Stevenson saw out Smith and Webber and proceeded to dismantle the rest of Gold's bowlers. His 81 not out was his highest score of the season, and it ensured a grand final berth as Green sneaked home by three wickets. 

At the end of the match, Stevenson was relaxed about the early-innings collapse which had threatened Green's chances. 

"Cricket's cricket. You get a couple of good ones, you get a couple of bad ones, and you put yourself under pressure," Stevenson said. 

"That's their strength, their opening bowlers, and we were just hoping to get through with as little damage as possible, but that wasn't to be." 

Heading into the grand final this weekend, Stevenson knows that the Workers Stags are extremely tough opponents, but believes that Green's mindset could give them the upper hand. 

"The one thing that we have prided ourselves on this year is our attitude and our effort when we're down," he said.

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