Wagga RSL will return to Cricket Wagga finals action after a thrilling tie with ladder leaders South Wagga on Saturday.
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The three points from the tie will all but secure the Bulldogs fourth place after a spirited performance against the Blues at Wagga Cricket Ground.
It could have been victory for Wagga RSL however, after they were dismissed one short of victory in the final over of the match.
Wagga RSL's number 11 batsman Rod Guy was caught by Jeremy Rowe at gully, off the bowling of Mitch Sykes, when looking to hit the ball over the top of the field and secure the winning runs.
It completed a nice comeback from South Wagga, as Wagga RSL looked set for victory when they needed 14 from the final eight overs, with two wickets in hand.
The Bulldogs entered the final over needing two to win, and fell tantalising short of a major upset.
Wagga RSL captain Sam Perry admitted it was a 'weird' feeling at game's end.
"It was definitely a positive performance going forward but it was a bit of a weird feeling after the game," Perry said.
"We were happy to take the three points but also felt a bit disappointed to miss out on three points."
South Wagga captain Joel Robinson remained upbeat despite the surprise result.
"I'm not disappointed. It was good to show a bit of fight throughout the day to stay in the game," Robinson said.
"They were in front at a lot of stages and even when the scores were level, to not give up and concede the game, to be able to get the tie is a good thing for us moving forward.
"We probably got the raw end of the conditions. We came out and went pretty hard against the new ball and it didn't come off but to their credit, they bowled well.
"We got some good little partnerships through Luke Gerhard and Cookey, then James Scott and Connor Willis, that got us to something we could defend."
South Wagga were sent in to bat and finished their 40 overs at 9-127, thanks to some rallying from the Blues' rearguard.
With two-day rules still in application after last week's abandonment of the first week, Tim Cameron bowled all 20 overs from one end for Wagga RSL and finished with 3-37, which included seven maidens.
Gerhard top scored for South Wagga with 38, while 15 from each of Cooke, Scott (not out) and Willis at the end of the innings were all important contributions.
Cameron completed a man of the match performance by top scoring with an unbeaten 26 for Wagga RSL. Marcus Sevior (17) and Will Morley (15) were next best.
Perry described Cameron's performance with the ball as 'outstanding' and said he was a 'massive standout' for the Bulldogs over the entire match. He also praised Guy's efforts at number 11 for putting on 18 for the last wicket to get them to a tie.
Sykes was the pick of the bowlers for South Wagga with 3-21 from 9.3 overs, while Scott, Robinson and Cooke all picked up two wickets each.
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