When Tyson Rennie hit a boundary in the 18th over to secure Old Boys victory over Bective East in the Twenty20 final at No.1 Oval on Friday night, there were no scenes of wild celebration. Or barely a discernible celebration, for that matter.

Rennie – who complied a 30-ball 24 after coming in with Old Boys in trouble at 5-36 chasing 86 – merely checked with the umpires that the winning runs had indeed been hit and then shook hands with his batting partner, Jack Richards (12 not out), after their 29-run partnership saw Old Boys finish on 6-87.

Even during the customary post-match winners’ photo, the players appeared to grudgingly respond to a photographer’s request to raise their index finger to signify their No.1 status.

Perhaps when you’ve been No.1 as long as reigning four-time premiers Old Boys have, that is to be expected. They claimed the first club-based Twenty20 title after years of the franchise-based system.

Old Boys did what they were expected to do in beating a side who are winless in the game’s longer forms this season and did well just to make the final.

What wasn't routine was the way Bective, a young side who played the match without their captain Adam Jones, responded to defending their paltry total – symptomatic of their batting woes this season.

On a pitch that Old Boys captain Ben Middlebrook described as largely batsmen friendly, opening bowler Lachlan Davidson removed the dangerous Simon Norvill for a duck with the inning's fourth ball to have Old Boys 1-0.

They were 2-3 when Gerhard Labuschagne dismissed Aaron Hazlewood for two, the catch taken by Davidson, who then removed Mitchell Swain for a duck as Labuschagne returned the favour by taking a catch that saw Old Boys slump to 3-3.

They were 4-20 when Labuschagne bowled Middlebrook for 13, and then 5-36 after Cooper Barnes removed Josh Worpel for 10, before Rennie and Richards muzzled Bective’s bite.

Three Bective bowlers bagged two wickets apiece – Davidson (2-19 from four overs), Labuschagne (2-11 from three overs) and Barnes (2-18 from four overs).

Rennie top-scored for Old Boys, whose chief destroyer was teenage off-spinner Matt Bryant (3-16 from four overs). Bective were bowled out in the 18th over. 

Hazlewood, whose younger brother Josh has been terrorising England in the Ashes, snared 2-7 from 2.4 overs while Jaryd Stevens claimed 2-20 from three overs.

Hazlewood removed Toby Whale with the first ball of Bective East’s innings – Norvill taking the catch. And as Bective’s total indicates, there was a steady flow of wickets subsequently.

Stand-in skipper Coby Cornish, who turned 18 in September, opened the innings and top-scored with a 26-ball 32.

No.6 Ian Hobson finished not out 19 to be next best.

Middlebrook said: “Our bowlers bowled well, we fielded pretty well. It was a bit disappointing at the top of the order but the boys got us home at the end, so it was a good win.”