Panthers captain Bear Birchley won the toss and elected to bat on a deck that looked like it might do a bit early.

Macpherson & Clarke opened the batting for the Panthers, with Clarke (23) the first to go deceived by a crafty Stewart slower ball attempting to hit a third consecutive 6. The Starries went on to tighten the scoring rate, picking up M.Clarke (5) and Ryan (1) cheaply. 

Macpherson was then dropped (a dolly) by Ash Benson on 12.  It would prove costly. Morrison joined Macpherson with the pair putting on 75 runs for the 4th wicket.  Morrison was the aggressor, scoring a quickfire 51 before being dismissed off the bowling of Thinee.

Macpherson then upped his scoring rate and was aided by handy cameos from Sidhu (13) & Birchley (26).  Macpherson was eventually dismissed by Spooner for 134.  A flurry of late wickets followed, with some very questionable running between wickets.  The Panthers bowled out in the 39th over for 267.  Spooner was the pick of the bowlers with 3/50.

After the break, Cullis & Kyle strode out in pursuit of Panthers' formidable total. Sidhu picked up the key wickets of Kyle (0) & Spooner (2) early, leaving the Starries reeling at 2/28. 

Cullis & Benson put on 78 runs for the 3rd wicket before Benson was deceived by a classy piece of bowling from Birchley for 31.

Cullis, now joined by Conlon, continued to attack and was clinical dispatching anything short of a length.  Another beautifully bowled Birchley off-break would eventually claim Cullis for a well compiled 68.  

Wickets trickled and with 10 overs to go the Starries had to score 80 runs with 3 wickets remaining.  Conlon and Stewart peppered the boundaries to keep the game in the balance.  Coonan eventually fell off the bowling of Morrison for 50. Stewart was then trapped LBW by Macpherson for 34, leaving the Starries 36 runs short.

Spectators were transfixed on what was a gripping tussle of two great cricketing nations.  One spectator was quoted “It was real edge of ya camp chair type of stuff".  

"Cricket was the real winner, even though it was the Panthers that won & the Black Stars that lost”.