With the Cats captain Archie Mason leaving with two games to go, a young Noah Iddles would take the reins scrabbling a side together for Saturday filled with brothers, mates and even some father-son duos.
The Cats won the toss and elected to bat first.
Losing the toss Tocumwal were sent out to field in hot conditions.
Finley started well being resolute in defence and pouncing on anything short.
Tocumwal were finding it hard going to take the first wicket with the openers batting through to drinks.
Harry Wilkinson (17) and Jonty King (37) got the Cats off to a flyer having 45 runs on the board before the first wicket fell.
A bit of enterprising captaincy saw Reilly Rennick take the first wicket for Tocumwal, with the score at 45, well caught at a leg gully by Tom White.
Finley kept managing partnerships and soaking up pressure with wickets falling rarely and when chances did come Tocumwal let a number through.
The middle order of the Cats shined with Noah Iddles getting 20 runs, Justin Crowley and Tony King both getting into the thirties.
With the score at 4-143 things were getting away from Tocumwal but the golden arm of Peter Harrison (2-14 off 4 overs) came to the rescue with a quick two wicket burst.
From there Andrew Lean (3/25 off 14 overs) and Reilly Rennick (3/31 off 11 overs) took the last 4 wickets to keep Finley to 190 all out.
There was some fantastic catching behind the wicket by Rod Meloury taking two catches at keeper then two at slip.
The Cats would bat right up to the 72nd over where Marcus Anderson would hit a ball through the Finley cricket club gates.
Word on the street is that the ball had to pay to get back in, although Anderson would fall the very next ball and with Cats’ score being the top score of the year for them it was a super effort for the Cats.
Finley then had eight overs to bowl that evening where Bailey Coombs and Tony King would take the new ball.
With a tricky 8 over spell to navigate at the end of the day Tom Oliver and Liam Sutton took up the challenge.
Tocumwal started well getting 18 runs on the board but Dan Eldridge struck on the last ball of the day getting an LBW for Tocumwal to be 1/18 at stumps.
Unfortunately for Tocumwal, Oliver fell on the last ball of the day for 15 leaving the score 1/18 off 8 overs.
It should be a close game next week and a big chase for Tocumwal.
Both teams will hope they can bat and bowl well respectively next week in what should be an exciting second day of cricket.
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