Oz club Beaudesert stages form reversal to win Fiji's Crompton Cup

It must have seemed almost predetermined that a Fijian team would win this year's Crompton Cup, the biggest event in Fijian cricket, when all four preliminary pools were topped by local teams.

And it must have appeared most unlikely that Queensland club side Beaudesert would clinch the title after losing its preliminary round match against Komo.

So when Beaudesert not only won the Cup Final, but was joined on the Trophy winner's list by fellow Australian teams, Erskine Park and Reg Clarke XI, the locals' need for the numbing effects of their preferred drink, kava, surely would have been heightened.

Beaudesert entered the Cup quarterfinals with the worst record of the eight remaining teams, sneaking through with a win, a loss and a draw.

Whether it had paced itself for the business end of the tournament is not known.

Its treatment of the host teams in the finals is less obscure, progressively bundling out three of the four pool winners - Suva Warriors, Moce and Capital Crusaders.

A five wicket win over Suva Warriors was followed by a victory over Moce, the top which had finished as winner of Beaudesert's Pool B.

This provided a 50-over-a-side Cup Final showdown against Suva's Capital Crusaders, which had eliminated Nadi in the quarterfinals and Tabou in the semi-finals.

Capital Crusaders' total of 112 in the final was less than other targets Beaudesert had overtaken earlier in the tournament so the contributions of Fijian national players, Iniasi Cakacaka (46), Waisake Tukana (12) as well as Joeli Mateyawa (16) seemed futile.

Matt Enright's unbeaten 48 allowed Beaudesert to stagger home by two wickets, overcoming tight bowling from Jone Seuvou (3-19 from 10 overs). J.Dennis, who had earlier taken 3-23 from 10 overs in the Crusaders' innings contributed 16.

Erskine Park won the Bowl Final for third placed teams against fellow Sydney club Oatley Hotel, while Reg Clarke XI won the Plate final by 88 runs against Fijian team, Komo.

Fijian national team all-rounder, Wayne Tukana, produced the two best individual performances of the tournament, smoting the tournament's highest score, 100 n.o. for the Crusaders against Lautoka, while snaring 6-15 from 6 overs against Erskine Park.

Crusaders had been restricted by J.Dennis' 3-23 off 10 overs.