Three months ago winning the Limited Overs Cup title with Randwick-Petersham was a long way from Matt Everett's thoughts.
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After four seasons spending probably more time in his car than on the pitch - the Sydney life not appealing to the Tamworth local - the former Bective-East and Tamworth keeper felt like he needed a bit of a break.
"I wouldn't say I'd had enough of it (cricket)," he said.
"But, I've been playing since I was five or six-years old, and it was pretty full-on, and I think I was busted out from driving down to Sydney the last four seasons."
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"And we won the two day comp last year down here so I was pretty happy to finish on that."
But then just before Christmas he received a phone call asking if he would be available to come down again.
"It just so happened the way it worked out that I was," he said.
"And it's been well worth doing it, finishing the season off down here."
On Sunday he savoured his second silverware with the club in as many seasons after they beat a highly-fancied Sydney in a thrilling finale.
Chasing the Randwick-Petersham's 9-232, of which Everett contributed 14 and was, he thought, "probably 20 runs under par", Sydney looked to have one hand on the trophy at 1-118 at first drinks.
But not for the first time in the finals, the Randy Petes fought back, claiming 9-106 for an eight run victory.
"We knew if we could take a couple of quick wickets we'd be able to rein it right back in," Everett said.
And so they were, taking 4-16 at one stage as they came from fifth to win their first one-day title in nine years.
"We did it the hard way but they're the ones that make it pretty special," he said.
It was all the more satisfying too for the fact they were underdogs, and had lost last year's final to Sydney when they were "probably the ones expected to win".
This season is Everett's fifth with the club.
Taking long service leave from his job as a greenkeeper and landscaper with Tamworth Regional Council, he has for the time being made the move to Sydney and is living at Coogee - "about 300m off the beach" - with long-time Central North, and Randy Pete's, team-mate Riley Ayre.
Picking up "a bit of coaching here and there" it has "been a bit like a cricket holiday".
In previous seasons traveling down after work on Friday and then back either Sunday night or Monday, he said it has been nice to be able to train with the side and other things like that.
Only picking up the bat after Christmas, he admittedly wasn't sure how it was going to go. Pretty good as it has turned out with Everett scoring 53 in his first game and 41 the next. He also hit 56 in their quarter-final win over Bankstown.
"I'm not keeping, just playing as an opening batsmen, but it's been really good," he said.
"I obviously didn't get as many as I would have liked on Sunday but that's all part of it - it comes and goes and while ever we're getting the right results it doesn't really worry me too much."