Metrans took out a 3-2 victory over Waverley to secure a Grand Final spot in slippery conditions on Thursday night.

By Giacomo Bruno

With a Grand Final spot up for grabs, the game had drama before it started. Wet weather conditions forced a venue change from Knox to Waverley. At home and in conditions that suited Waverley, the game evened up.

Waverley opened the batting and went scoreless but kept level with clever fielding. The Metrans’ Michael Dyson was caught and Joel Southam tagged by Scott Dean. Lincoln Cramer caught Glen Rigg’s long high ball shortly after.

In the second inning the deadlock finally broke. Waverley was scoreless again, but the Metrans took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Brodie Taylor ran home for the first score of the game.

Waverley without a run at the bottom of the third continued to defend hard. Nathan Tidey caught Southam and Dyson.

Both teams fielded well again with no runs added in the fourth inning, but Waverley reversed the margin in the fifth inning.

Down by a single run, Cramer would hit a triple before he ran home to level the scores, as James Halley later ran home to put Waverley in front.

At the bottom of the seventh inning, Waverley held a 2-1 lead and needed to defend. They got their first out when Taylor was called out on second base. But umpires called a timeout to review the call and reversed the original decision, instead called obstruction on Waverley second base Cody Smith.

Waverley pitcher Alex Chapman would strike out two players and was on course to a shock win. Needing only one strike to win the game with two outs, the Metrans rallied back.

Taylor, who was still in the game ran home and levelled the scores. The go-ahead run came in the next play for Metrans to win, 3-2, and book a spot in the Grand Final.

The Metrans will now face Cougars in next week’s season decider at Knox.

Image: Change of Focus Photography