It's been a long road for Ollie Anable, but after three years, he was finally able to raise a Regional Bash trophy.
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The Crookwell native was a part of the ACT Aces side which, on Monday last week, defeated Lake Mac Attack in the Cricket NSW Regional Bash grand final at the SCG.
Anable opened the bowling for the Aces after they lost the toss and returned economical figures of 0-13 from two overs.
None of Lake Mac's batsmen scored more than 28 in the first innings, but a number of starts got them to 8-130 by the end of the 20th over.
In response, a resounding innings of 70 not out from ACT stalwart, Blake Dean, led the Aces' charge to victory. While none of Canberra's other batsmen managed more than 15 (extras were technically the second-highest scorer, with 21), Dean saw the ACT to victory with four wickets and seven balls to spare.
"We had a great innings there from Blake Dean," Anable said.
"He's had a bit of experience playing for the Sydney Thunder, so it's great to have him in the team."
In Anable's three years playing in the Regional Bash, the Aces lost two consecutive grand finals, before taking out the tournament this year.
"Third time lucky, I suppose," Anable said.
"To win it this year was a big achievement for our team, it's a sign of all the hard work we put in each week and the commitment that each player gives. It was very rewarding to get over the line, especially to win a grand final at the SCG is pretty special."
Though Anable himself had a quiet tournament, with only two wickets from four matches, his run rate across the four matches was 5.8 runs per over.
This, in a T20 tournament, is exceptional for a fast bowler. Particularly one who bowls primarily in the powerplay overs, as Anable does.
The 21-year-old admitted that T20 isn't his preferred format - he is more of a traditional line and length bowler - but he acknowledged that his time in the Aces squads in recent years has taught him a huge amount.
"I'm definitely understanding the game a lot more, in terms of the nature of T20 cricket and how fast-paced it is," Anable said.
"Over the past three years, I've developed a lot, and I think that's because there's a lot more T20 cricket around these days than there was four years ago.
"The experience and exposure I've had over the last three years has allowed me to get better."
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