AS tough as it was for Altona coach Mark McAllion to admit, the best two teams will fight out the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association first XI grand final – and neither is his.
The A’s gave second-ranked Kew a run for its money in the two-day semi-final at Victoria Park over the weekend but were ultimately out-classed by the star-studded host, which advances to the season decider against red-hot favourite Melton this weekend.
“I’m proud of our blokes,” McAllion said. “We had a red-hot crack this season. The best two teams will play in the grand final.”
It was especially hard for McAllion to take as it’s his last season with the A’s.
The third-year coach revealed to the Weekly after Sunday’s loss that he will be moving on.
He will do so without achieving his aim of taking the A’s to the holy grail.
“I’m done,” he said. “It’s a good club. The blokes worked hard and supported me. It would’ve been great to go all the way.”
The A’s had the tougher batting conditions to contend with on day one on Saturday.
They produced a stop-start 223 off 78.3 overs. It was below par considering their shotgun
start.
“We had a good platform to launch from,” McAllion said. “They had two spinners that dried us up and we were 30 or 40 runs short in hindsight.”
Aaron Maynard capped a standout finals series and season with a controlled 76.
The all-rounder made 537 runs at 38.36 and took 22 wickets at 21.14. “They say cream rises to the top,” McAllion said. “His finals series was fantastic.”
Tailender Gayan Fernando provided a crucial 40. Tim Collins and Gordon MacFarlane each scored 21.
The A’s went to stumps on day one with a chance but knowing it was a score that was unlikely to cut the mustard.
And so it was on Sunday when Kew cantered to a six-wicket victory with five overs to spare.
A wicket apiece to Fernando, Craig Bancroft, Lee Elmore and MacFarlane was not enough for the A’s, who bowed out of the finals series after tasting a win and a loss.
“The track flattened right out on the second day,” McAllion said. “They always had the game in hand.”
Semi-finals
Firsts: Kew 4-224 d Altona 223 (AP Maynard 76 G Fernando 40).
Seconds: Yarraville 77 lt Kew 5-207 (C Scott 4-30).
