Old Boys will play South Tamworth in the grand final next week after taking 4-1 to win the final on first innings by 11 runs at No.1 Oval after Bective seemed to have the run chase under control.

Captain Adam Jones hit a century and when he fell at 3-171 Bective only needed 37 runs to win, but Josh Smith became an Old Boys hero with five wickets swinging the game.

“We got away with it,” Old Boys skipper Simon Norvill said.

“We dropped Jonesy on 48 and the boundaries he was hitting ... he was hitting it so well.

“He was always going to be the key.

“We got the fifth wicket and then Josh Smith bowled an absolutely outstanding spell.

“We had a bit of luck and it showed that it’s not over till the fat lady sings.”

On day one Old Boys made 207 with Heath Falkenmire (43) and Stewart Morgan (45) putting on 91 for the first wicket.

Norvill top-scored with 47 at number three but the Bective spin duo of Greg Kellett and Rod Fensbo cleaned up with nine wickets between them.

Fensbo took 5-46 and Kellett 4-66. “We batted well at the start of play,” Norvill said.

“We had a very good opening partnership and then a couple more good partnerships.

“After we lost the third wicket we fell away pretty badly.”

Mark Slacksmith and Jones paired up for 74 for the second wicket in the chase before Slacksmith went for 47.

Jones was finding the boundary regularly and as long as he was at the crease a Bective win seemed in the bag but after passing his century he went for one too many and became Smith’s first scalp on 104.

Even at that stage Bective had seven wickets in hand and seemed to have enough batting strength to round up the last 37 runs, but the wickets tumbled and when Will Howard ran Dave Ison out Bective was gone for 196.

“Momentum can change, that’s the way it goes,” Jones said.

“Pressure builds in semi finals but it’s just a game of cricket.

“Some blokes can handle it and some can’t.”

After the Bulls scrounged an unlikely tie seven days previous they asked Old Boys to bat again but this time there would be no miracles.

Norvill (21no) and Ben Middlebrook (20no) safely got Old Boys to 2-57 at tea and with a 68-run lead, eight wickets in hand and two hours to play Bective saw the writing on the wall.