Without an umpire in sight and only 20 minutes to the scheduled start time, United and Muddies' C grade Captains tossed the coin with the latter successful and choosing to bat on what appeared to be a fair deck.

The umpire arrived a few minutes later and insisted the coin was tossed again despite both captains committing to stick to the outcome of the first toss.

This time United won and as a true gentleman the skipper stuck to the terms already dictated to him and bowled.

The usually successful Darlington stuck to his game plan creating a wind turbine at the second delivery and managed a boundary in the first over only to be out, caught off the day's eighth ball at gully, Muddies 1/7.

Fill-in player Walz was offered the number three position and with Dan Harris the pair put on 37 before Harris (13) also held out to gully, 2/44 in the eighth over.

Skipper Doble joined his teammate who looked very comfortable and controlled as the two patiently added a further 21 via ones, twos and the occasional boundary on a relatively fast outfield.

Around the halfway point, Walz, trying to "push on" was caught at short mid on for a team best 34 on the day.

Although Doble was off the mark with a boundary, he remained watchful and with Darren Wall the pair agreed to keep the score ticking whilst protecting wickets for a late innings onslaught.

United' bowlers were tight in line and length so timing and placement were key. Wall (21) fell in the 20th over after a 35-run stand, leaving a solid platform for the late order with the score at 4/100.

Doble attempted just that to find himself stumped for 20 before two silly run outs saw Redfern (4) and Scheisser (16) back in the shade with the scorers, Muddies 7/137 and only a few balls to go.

Bronson Ryan joined Shulz who had been responsible for the worst of the two run outs and the two managed to get their team up to 7/148 by the close.

Shulz scored 11-not-out off 9 balls and Ryan despite uncharacteristically blocking his first delivery produced six runs off the last 2 balls.

One player short due to a vehicle break down Muddies knew they still had a big task ahead in the field.

The typical tight lines of Scheisser produced two superb maiden overs.

A confused call between the batsmen resulted in Darlington dribbling a throw for a successful run out and Shulz picking up an edge behind to have the opposition 2/7 by the fourth over. 

United dug in, producing a superb 53 run partnership and Muddies bowlers Barnes and Redfern were left to bowl an outside-off line to a supportively set field in an attempt to make the batsmen take chances.

At drinks both teams were in with equal chance, United 2/55.

Harris was brought into the attack, well underdone, to the extent a delivery above waist height was deemed not a no-ball as the umpire said he was hardly medium pace.

This is the same bowler who tore a team to pieces five years ago on debut as an opening medium/fast bowler who took 7/44.

His teammates were highly amused but with a quick LBW decision falling his way after drinks, United's captain arrived at the crease and his left handed stance quickly changed the Muddies approach.

Shulz was brought back and with United 2/94 needing in excess of a run a ball he removed the opener clean bowled for 30 while their skipper plundered some great boundaries and managed to get on top of the run rate.

Shulz finished with 2/21, missing a wicket off a no ball, his partner Scheisser a very tight 0/17 off 6 overs.

In the last period of play United needed 30 runs off 30 balls on a conducive field.

This challenge was taken up by Barnes (2/20) who had two overs left and quickly changed the match with two wickets taking away United's momentum.

In the same over he managed a run out too.

Ryan was given the unwanted task of bowling at the death and superbly produced two wickets resulting in United needing six off the last ball.

An adjustment to the field had five players on the boundary and despite this being the maximum under the rules the umpire called the last delivery a no ball claiming gully was also outside the inner circle.

The batsmen scurried for two runs and the self claimed "Ice Man" Scheisser melted to throw an overthrow before the team settled sufficiently to win.

This places the team into the semi final this Sunday in Cairns for yet another challenging task on the same field against a win a piece rival Rovers.