They managed just 68 balls in a 12 hour shift, but that's all Western District needed to secure a bittersweet Twenty20 triumph as they shift their focus to a national crown.
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Wests claimed the Cricket ACT Twenty20 Cup in a rain-affected draw against Tuggeranong Valley at Phillip Oval on Sunday.
Just 11.2 overs were bowled in the decider before play was cut short by rain, handing Wests the title as the competition's highest-placed team.
An unbeaten Tim Floros half-century (50 from 28 balls) steered Tuggeranong to 1-89 under a constant drizzle, before the umpires halted play just shy of 6pm.
Tuggeranong were hoping conditions would clear by the cut-off time of 7.50pm, which would have left Wests requiring 54 runs from a five over run chase.
Alas it was not to be and Wests were officially crowned champions 12 hours after they had arrived to warm up for their ultimately washed out semi-final in the morning.
They are now bound for the national premier Twenty20 championships in Adelaide on March 3-4.
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"You never say no to a premiership but it's not the way we would have liked to have done it," Wests captain Matt Condon said.
"We would have wanted to get the win but unfortunately the weather ruined the day a bit.
"We want to win every game we play and we want to win well, because days like this do happen and we want to have our neck in front.
"It's just unfortunate the game against Tuggeranong during the season got canned [due to air poor quality], that probably the decided the result really."
Wests and Tuggeranong finished level on competition points but the former placed first on net run rate.
Wests advanced to the final on the back of a washed out semi-final against Queanbeyan having finished on top of the table.
Rain held off in the second semi-final with half-centuries to Tom Vane Tempest (56) and Shane Devoy (50) guiding Tuggeranong to a 24-run win over Weston Creek Molonglo.
AT A GLANCE
Cricket ACT Twenty20 Cup - Semi-final one: WESTERN DISTRICT drew with QUEANBEYAN at Phillip Oval. Wests advanced to the final as the higher-ranked team.
Semi-final two: TUGGERANONG VALLEY 7-164 (T Vane Tempest 56, S Devoy 50; B Faunce 4-42, D Bloomfield 1-23) v WESTON CREEK MOLONGLO 140 (S Taylor 46, J Low-McMahon 39; M Shean 4-25, C Devoy 2-8) by 24 runs at Phillip Oval.
Final: WESTERN DISTRICT drew with TUGGERANONG VALLEY 1-89 (T Floros 50*, M Barrington-Smith 24*; S Murn 1-17) at Phillip Oval. Wests were deemed champions as the higher-ranked team.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
