WHAT a difference a year makes.
Both South West Cricket and Hamilton District Cricket Association representative sides were pondering the seismic shift in fortunes for their teams after yesterday’s opening day of Melbourne Country Week.
Last year, SWC destroyed HDCA, making 5-314 in reply to Hamilton’s 138. Yesterday the HDCA capped 12 months of disappointment, thrashing SWC.
After slumping to 5-64 in perfect conditions, HDCA captain Hamish Bailey (60 off 85 balls) guided his team to a competitive 9-188 off its 50 overs. But after a rapid start from openers Craig Sargeant (30 off 23 balls) and Josh Barr (49 off 81 balls), SWC lost 10-75, including its last six wickets for just 12 runs with 11 overs remaining.
While SWC took five crucial second innings wickets in a whirlwind final 11 overs, captain Steven Castle was at a loss to explain his side’s capitualtion.
“Terrible,” he said of the batting display.
“Very ordinary. We just couldn’t make the runs. We bowled very well but the batting just continually lost wickets.”
Castle said Terang skipper Ben Grinter (3-35 from 10 overs) had bowled well but with his first ball of the match he had Bailey caught off a no-ball.
“He was still in single figures so that proved costly. But having said that I was pleased with our bowling and fielding.
“The boys bowled really well but it was such a good ground and a good pitch we thought less than 200 in those conditions was really achievable. The application just wasn’t there with the batting.”
Castle said his side’s match against the WDCA today was crucial.
“We just have to focus on getting wins for the rest of the week, there is no doubt about it. Obviously if we play well the rest of week anything can happen but if you lose the first two you have to start thinking you don’t want to put yourself in danager of being relegated.”
HDCA president Lloyd Illet gave credit to SWC’s opening bowlers Simon and Clinton Baker and Ben Grinter for restricting his side’s score.
But he praised teenager Luke Merryfull for his batting performance in his country week debut, forming a 47-run stand with Bailey for the sixth wicket.
He said the HDCA side contained seven country week debutants and their contributions was most pleasing.
Illet said the second innings performance with the bat left a bad taste after such a good day.
“I was pretty disappointed with it.
“(Overall) we didn’t play that well but a win is a win. They absolutely flogged us last year and it was pretty much their same side and we had seven debutants. Our batting has to improve. It’s not much good having one bloke make 60 and the rest very little.”
The HDCA faces Kyabram District today at Monash University.
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