Reduced to eight players per team, the game started with the toss, by Peter Cosgrove, called correctly by the Chairman who, not only elected to bat, but decided to be the “official” scorer for the entire match. Indoor rules were amended and the game started with umpire Anthony Egan seated in the chair.

The Chairman’s XI batsmen were careful in their batting with no one scoring more than 10 runs and five batsmen being able to keep their wicket intact.

Even though Kurt Bullivant top scored, he was out three times.

The batsmen scored 60 runs with another 34 runs as wides making 94 but minus 12 for the six wickets that were lost. Callum Thomas took 1 for 6 with his 2 overs, while Liam Dunn took 2 wickets for 19.

Chasing 82 runs, the People’s XI made a brisk start being 1 for 29 at the end of the fourth over.

Each partnership added around 30 runs to the score with Jackson Cameron top-scoring with 20 runs and Liam Dunn, along with Marcus Downes, scoring 15 runs each.

Best of the bowlers were Kurt Bullivant and Sean Franks who each took two for 13 from their two overs. Young Myles Egan took one for 13, as did Joel Herbert.

The People’s XI scored 105 runs with another 24 runs as wides totalling 129 but minus 16 for the eight wickets that were taken by the Chairman’s XI.

The People’s XI had triumphed after a number of years in the wilderness.

The game was played in the right spirit with Ethan Andrews asking, after the Australia Day ceremony, how a person was able to get a start in this annual game.

The Chairman replied – “go home, get your cricket gear and we will see you at the Indoor Cricket Centre.”

Ethan had a great afternoon as did Sean Franks and Myles Egan.

The game saw the People’s XI victorious and in its 10th year, the wins stand at five each.