But it was the 8,000-plus supporters who were at the game who were the real stars, together contributing more than $120,000 to the Victorian Bushfire appeal, with plenty more still to be counted.
The stage was set for the event when the rival clubs’ cheer squads got together to make a combined Power and Crows banner, and both sides ran through it together. The SANFL, the Power and the Crows combined to put on the event in just five days, which also involved all the SANFL clubs, and their mascots.
Every player from both AFL clubs, whether they made the cricket team or not, was there, the others wandering amongst the crowd rattling the donation tins and signing autographs, with Mark Williams the most vocal tin rattler of them all.
The SANFL donated every cent raised on the night to the Victorian Bushfire appeal, including car parking and food and drink sales.
The match
Power XI skipper Travis Boak won the toss and sent the Crows in but may have been rueing the decision when openers Bernie Vince and Chris Knights successfully negotiated their way through the first five overs from Power inclusion Jason ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie and the very sharp Dawson.
Brendon Lade broke the Crows opening stand by getting Knights with a full toss, then immediately had Vince gasping on all fours after copping one in the most dreaded of locations.
Troy Chaplin took two wickets in his first over including getting Vince caught spectacularly by Paul Stewart at long off. But it only brought Crows ‘extra’ Darren ‘Boof’ Lehmann to the crease who was never troubled in bringing up 42 including plenty of catching practice for the crowd before retiring.
Tony Modra slogged 27 in the late overs to help the Crows to what seemed a very formidable 6 for 155 from their 20 overs.
Gavin Wanganeen and Dom Cassisi opened the batting for the Power but Wanganeen had his stumps rattled first ball, prompting Mark Williams to lead Gav’s kids Mia and Tex onto the ground to see what went wrong.
Dawson had previously been known as the quick bowler who broke Australian star Mike Hussey’s bat in the nets last year but he soon proved he was also a very formidable bastman.
Dawson hit 52 off 27 balls, playing all the shots, and even having time to let the odd ball through to the keeper, much to the amusement of his teammates on the sidelines. The new Power draftee raised his bat for the only half century of the match but was promptly called to retire by announcers Fitzy from Nova and Cossie from SAFM.
A middle order collapse, losing Cassisi, Lade and Stewart in quick succession, left the Power vulnerable at 5 for 70 but it still had Boak getting his eye in at the other end and Gillespie newly at the crease. It turned into a winning partnership, as Boak (42 off 27) cut loose with multiple sixes and Dizzy prodded the Crows bowling around comfortably.
Chaplin then turned what looked a likely victory into an easy one, slashing 20 off seven balls, including consecutive sixes off Simon Goodwin to bring up the winning runs with 12 balls and four wickets to spare.
