The ghost of last summer has returned to haunt Yarraville.
There was a lightning-strike-twice feeling about the Eagles exit from the Sub-District cricket finals on Sunday.
They were again banished on the back of a harrowing batting collapse, all out for 42 in search of Oakleigh’s small 162 victory target in the semi final at Warrawee Park Oval.
After starting out confidently with 1-31, the innings took a dramatic turn for the worse for the Eagles, losing their last nine wickets for a measly 11 runs to bow out of the premiership race, a game short of a grand final.
Eagles captain Matthew Love is struggling to digest his side’s inexplicable collapse.
“We still trying to come to terms with it,” he told Star Weekly. “At 1-31, I thought we were almost home and hosed to be honest, then next minute, we lose 9-11.
“We went there with high hopes and to walk away with getting bowled for 42 is a hard pill to swallow.”
In last year’s finals, Yarraville was bundled out for 45 by eventual premiers Plenty Valley.
It is the second year running the Eagles have faced a more experienced side at the peak of their powers in a cut-throat final.
The Eagles supporters expected better and the players deserved better for their efforts throughout a season when few predicted the up and coming side would finish third after the home-and-away rounds.
“It’s disappointing the way we bowed out of finals, but we’ll learn from it and come back stronger,” Love said. “I think it comes down to a bit of maturity, we’re a lot younger than them and they’ve got a bit more experience.
“I’m really proud of the way the boys held themselves throughout the year, but we’re a work in progress. We’ve got a lot of potential. We’re heading in the right direction.
“We made a qualifying final last year, we’ve gone to a semi this year, so we’re thereabouts but we still need to do a lot of work.”
There is no doubt an upset was on the cards after day one.
Oakleigh struggled to get any flow into their innings, finishing on 9-161 off 80 overs.
It could have been worse for the Oaks, who were 7-100 at one stage, but they battled hard to post a respectable total, with the patient Matthew Price taking control with 48 off 152 balls and Alex Jones chipping in with a valuable 36 at nearly a run a ball.
“We didn’t bowl well at the death,” Love said. “But 160 is a score we thought we could chase.”
Yarraville’s bowling figures look sleek.
Ross Veitch and James Keenan took an identical 2-22, both doing so economically.
Spinner Akshat Buch was influential with 2-60 and two run outs.
Offer a chase of around 160 to Love before the game and he would have taken that without hesitation.
As it transpired, it was far too many for a side that went into its shell once again in the finals.
“At the start of the day we would’ve definitely taken 160,” he said. “Unfortunately, when you lost 9-11, you wouldn’t be able to chase 50.
“It’s an awesome effort for us to get to where we got, but it’s disappointing the way we finished our season.”
