Drysdale snatched a thrilling tie against Winchelsea to advance to the Bellarine Peninsula Cricket Association A2 Grade final at Collendina this Saturday.
The Hawks finished higher on the ladder so even without victory, they advanced to the decider after a hectic final few deliveries.
Needing two to win with one wicket and five deliveries in hand, Winchelsea’s Matt Partridge faced up to Drysdale’s Peter Davidson.
Davidson then sent down a wide, which tied the scores, but that wasn’t enough for the Blues – they finished fourth on the ladder and needed to win.
Partridge played the next ball softly to mid-wicket and set off for a run, but Bailey Sykes pounced on the ball and while horizontal, threw down the stumps leaving No 11 Dillon Campbell well short of his ground.
It was a climatic end to a great game of finals cricket.
Drysdale made 7-180 with Charlie Clode making 57 from 81 deliveries and veteran Shane Cutajar 34 from 50. Partridge took 4-35 for the Blues.
In reply, Winchelsea always seemed to be in control of the run rate and if it wasn’t for some Sykes fielding magic, things would have been different.
Drysdale will meet Armstrong Creek in the final with the winner to be promoted to A1 Grade next season.
The Titans got off to a flyer against Barwon Heads with Jack Maclean getting 26 and Aaron Morgan making a rapid 20 from 13 deliveries.
But Barwon Heads started to get on top and at 7-87 and then 8-111, the Seagulls were suddenly staring down a run chase of around 120.
Praveen Mayavel and Lachlan Mulgrew then went about a busy unbroken 25-run stand that lifted the final score to 8-136.
Barwon Heads started its innings cautiously before Charlie Hurst was brilliantly caught by Maclean at midwicket.
Ben Harris and Max Melzer found the bowling difficult to get away before Harris fell to young leggie Grace Jones’ first delivery, skying a catch to extra cover.
Jones then got rid of Melzer and should have had another. She dropped a simple return catch from Darcy Hewitt and then should have had dangerman Tony Mirabella out not long after, but the ball fell in between two hesitant fielders.
Mirabella then unleashed a barrage of mammoth sixes, but was trapped in front for 21.
When Hewitt was out for 26, Armstrong Creek had the game in its keeping and the Heads fell quickly for 104.
