If this was truly a dress rehearsal, then Nikesh Joseph has done more than enough to get a call back - and perhaps even the lead role.
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Tuggeranong Valley secured the Douglas Cup minor premiership with a first innings victory over Weston Creek Molonglo at Chisholm Oval.
It was the perfect tune up for Tuggeranong as they set their sights on Cricket ACT's most prized trophy - they will meet the same opposition at the same venue next week in the semi-final.
Tuggeranong posted 9dec-287 on day one before Joseph (5-26) ripped through Creek's batting order to skittle the visitors for 111.
"It was pretty unreal, my first five-for so it was a pretty nice experience and a good feeling," Joseph said.
"The ball was swinging pretty well for me, and a few things went my way so I was pretty fortunate. It was just unreal, it was just a good experience against such a good batting line-up like Creek.
"Ollie [Anable], the other opening bowler, he bowled really well early on which allowed me to take a few wickets as well.
"It was good making a significant contribution to the team winning a game, especially going into the semi-finals, it gives us some nice momentum.
"We play Creek back at the same ground so it's good momentum going forward. It's really good for the confidence and hopefully we can repeat it.
"[Winning the competition] that's the ultimate goal. It would be unreal, we already won the Twenty20 competition so it would be pretty crazy if we could win the two-day competition.
"After doing all that pre-season training throughout the year, it would be pretty nice to get that reward."
Meanwhile, an Ethan Bartlett-inspired Western District-UC finished their regular season campaign with a first innings victory over Eastlake at Kingston Oval.
Bartlett (3-38) combined with Matt McGann (4-23) to roll Eastlake for 123 on day one and he backed it up with his fourth century (102) of the summer to lead Wests to 278.
Eastlake showed more grit in the second dig to fight their way to 3-133, and the loss of their third wicket was enough for both skippers to call it a day with an outright result seemingly beyond them.
While those two games had come to a close relatively quickly on day two, none of the players on hand enjoyed the luxury of a full day at the Black Opal Stakes race day quite like Queanbeyan's squad.
The Bluebags became the fourth team in Cricket ACT first grade history to claim an outright win inside one day when they ran through North Canberra-Gungahlin on Saturday.
Norths folded twice in a day and Queanbeyan needed just one ball in their second innings to cap off their season in stellar fashion with a 10-wicket victory.
Ginninderra's finals audition hit a speed bump as ANU skipper Dan Leerdam scored a sensational hundred to close out the regular season with a first innings win over the Tigers.
AT A GLANCE
Cricket ACT Douglas Cup round seven: WESTERN DISTRICT-UC 278 (E Bartlett 102; L Harman 4-90) bt EASTLAKE 123 and 3-133 (R Bartley 46*; M Minns 1-20) on first innings at Kingston Oval.
ANU bt GINNINDERRA 211 (D Faram 54; L Pedley 4-27) on first innings at ANU North Oval.
TUGGERANONG VALLEY 9-287 (M Barrington-Smith 67; H Medhurst 4-91) bt WESTON CREEK MOLONGLO 111 (H Medhurst 41; N Joseph 5-26) on first innings at Chisholm Oval.
QUEANBEYAN 8dec-199 and 0-6 (B Falkenberg 6*; D Jackson 0-6) bt NORTH CANBERRA-GUNGAHLIN 103 and 100 (L Whatmough 20; V Dukoski 5-60) by 10 wickets at Freebody Oval.
