A 10-over, 22-run final wicket partnership sealed Cowra's first Western Zone Premier League win in two years over Orange at Wade Park on Saturday.
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Chris Day and Emerson Barratto were the final-wicket heroes as Orange - having fought its way into the game twice - just couldn't take the final wicket needed.
Orange got off to a flyer as Kaleb Cook, fresh off a massive 150 last week for Cavaliers picked up where he left off, hit 41 at the top of the order, while Lachie Coyte made 60 coming in at first drop.
Matt Corben made a solid start coming in at number four once Cook ad been dismissed, making 15 before he was bowled by Josh Carmody for 15, but his dismissal sparked a collapse.
Orange lost 6-48 to slump to 8-140 as Ben Houghton got to work, taking 4-25 from his eight overs to be the key instigator with the ball for Cowra, while tail-enders Harry Pearce (17 not out) and George Cumming (18) helping push the hosts' total to 179.
Cowra was absolutely cruising in reply at 1-94 as Jacob McNaught (37) and Ben Shofield (32) took control, but once wily veteran Daryl Kennewell and young pacer Bailey Ferguson dismissed them respectively, the gut fell out of the visitors' middle order.
Gus Cumming tore through Cowra, taking 4-21 and dismissing batters four to seven in his 10 overs, with brother George bowling in tandem for 1-42 from 10.
However, Cowra hung in losing the ninth wicket with just 22 runs to get and Matt Corben missing a sharp chance when Barratto nicked off before scoring.
Chris Day stepped up, and survived both nicking the slimmest of half-chances off Daryl Kennewell and nearly having his partner run out a ball later with seven runs left to get.
The pair soldiered on, taking three overs to score three runs before Day (17 not out) knocked a Bailey Ferguson delivery around the corner to the fine leg fence to the ruptures of his teammates in the grandstand.
I had faith in Emerson as a batter and he really showed a lot of character today.
- Chris Day talking about youngster Emerson Barratto
"I'm buggered but good," Day said moments after hitting the winning runs.
"It was just a tickler round the corner, I was looking for one a bit fuller and wanted to whack it over his head but didn't quite get it but the outfield here always helps."
He said he "had faith" in Barratto that even with 22 runs to hit the side was still a chance.
"I had faith in Emerson as a batter and he really showed a lot of character today. He was the pick of our bowlers, 1-18 off 10 and come out number 11 and solid as a rock," Day said.
"He was great ... really happy to have the young fella around and I really like him, really good kid with a lot of temperament.
"He's going to be a good cricketer for us."
Barratto wasn't coddled from the strike, seeing off both Ed Morrish and Brett Causer in his stay at the crease and hitting six runs of his own to give the long-suffering Cowra side a win.
"We've been working hard for the best part of 24 months, been in a few games but just hadn't got there and it looked like that again today but we dug deep in the end and got there," Day said.