WITH the Regional Bash final hanging in the balance, Blake Dean blasts 21 runs off a single over for the ACT Aces under lights at the SCG.
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It was that moment which proved decisive in the Aces winning the Twenty20 competition for the first time as they went on to beat defending champions Lake Mac Attack by four wickets with seven balls in hand.
However, it was not the only special moment from Dean.
The Bathurst District Cricket graduate was the clear choice for the player of the final as he finished unbeaten on 70 runs off 55 deliveries - having scored more than half of the 131-run total his side required for victory.
That effort came after Dean cracked 74 off 54 deliveries in the Aces' semi-final against Orana Outlaws earlier in the day, setting up a 44-run win.
Across the two games Dean hit 13 fours and cleared the rope three times as he amassed 144 runs - an effort which made him the highest run scorer in the season 2020-21 men's Regional Bash competition. His strike rate of 132.1 was just as impressive.
Dean, who played one match for Sydney Thunder in 2013, said like any kid it was a thrill to play at the SCG.
"This is my third time here now... this is a great competition, love the T20 format and Country Cricket, big supporter of Country cricket that's what got me and a lot of players to [where they are now]," he said.
While Dean was not part of the Aces' line-up prior to Monday's finals, his club form for Western District in the ACT Premier Cricket competition meant he was a welcomed addition to the squad.
Dean had hit 453 in his eight knocks for Western and impressively, he'd scored those runs at a strike rate of 95.6. He'd hit 43 boundaries and cleared the rope 11 times across those innings'.
Dean was joined in the Aces squad for the finals by fellow Bathurst cricketer and Western team-mate Nic Broes.
Monday marked Broes' third consecutive season of playing Regional Bash finals at the SGC.
He first did it in season 2018-19 as a member of the Central West Wranglers squad which fell to the Aces by eight wickets in their semi-final.
Last season, after relocating to Canberra to play club cricket for Western District, Broes was named in the ACT Aces squad.
He was not required to bat in the semi-final the Aces won against the Wranglers, and in the decider the St Pat's Old Boys graduate starred for his side which ultimately went down to Lake Mac Attack by six runs.
Broes claimed two wickets and belted 45 at better than a run a ball in that final.
Like Dean, Broes had not represented the Aces this season prior to Monday and like Dean, he'd been in handy form on club level. He's scored 236 runs and has a 54.8 strike rate.
Broes had also hit 175 runs at a strike rate of 133.6 to help the Saints reach the semi-finals of the Royal Hotel Cup T20 competition.
It meant the Bathurst duo were given the job of opening the batting in their semi-final against Orana Outlaws, the 2016/17 Regional Bash champions.
They got the Aces off to handy start with the run rate hovering around six before Broes fell for eight off 13 in the sixth over after skying a shot. That made it 1-36.
But Dean, who had been the aggressor of that opening partnership, continued to give Orana's attack headaches.
His range of shots included reverse ramps and while he did give chances, it took the Outlaws until the third ball of the 14th over to remove him. Dean was stumped off Steve Skinner's bowling, the spinner seeing him advance down the wicket and reacting to fire in a wide, flat delivery which beat him.
Dean's hour at the crease saw him hit 74 off 54. He hit eight fours and a six. When he fell it was 3-97, the Aces going on to make 4-163.
It was a chase which proved too much for the Outlaws. While Dean anchored the Aces' season no Orana player was able to settle in at the crease with Tim Armstrong's 28 off 33 opening the batting the top score.
The Outlaws finished their 20 overs at 6-117, Broes having conceded nine runs off his two overs of spin.
Broes did not take any wickets in that match, but in the decider against Lake Mac Attack - the team which denied the Aces in last season's decider - he was the first bowler to strike.
In his first over he removed rival opener Daniel Arms and when thrown the ball again, Broes bowled rival skipper Adrian Chad. That made it 4-105 after 15 overs.
Broes finished with 2-18 off his three overs as the Attack reached 8-130.
In the chase Broes fell for a third-ball duck and number three Tyler Van Luin departed the next over to make it 2-9.
More Aces batsmen came and went cheaply, but Dean was at the crease and kept his side in the hunt. His 21 runs - including an impressive six - off one Daniel Chillingworth over then gave ACT the upper hand.
They needed just eight runs off the final two overs to win and while a sixth wicket fell with nine balls remaining, moments later the win was sealed.
Dean finished unbeaten on 70 and with the next biggest contributor to the Aces' total being 21 extras, he was the clear choice for player of the final.
