Tara Murray
Footscray was made to pay for one of its worst performances of the Victorian Premier Cricket season in the opening round of finals.
Facing Melbourne in a qualifying final, the Bulldogs were full of confidence after a strong back half to the season.
Their batting, which has been their strength this season, let them down on day one.
After losing both openers early, the Bulldogs had a lot of starts in their middle order, without anyone going on and making a big score.
The Bulldogs were bowled out for 198 in 70.2 overs.
Ryan Stingel top scored with 43 and Mitchell Jamieson made 35.
Bulldogs coach Dale McDonald said they never thought they had enough runs on the board.
“It was not one of our best performances, but that is cricket,” he said.
“In finals you need to get 250-plus.
“We didn’t get off to a great start with a couple of early wickets in the first 10 overs. It’s not ideal in any game, let alone a final.
“They are a class outfit and got the better of us. The guys who got started know they needed to cash in. Every time we started to get some momentum back we lost a wicket.”
McDonald said with a low total they needed everything to go right with the ball and in the field.
He said had a couple of decisions gone their way, they could have had Melbourne 3-20 late on day one.
But it wasn’t to be. Melbourne went on to make 2-202 with Blake Thomson making 109 not out and Will Pucovski finishing 57 not out.
“Pucovski and Thomson and both classer batters,” he said. “Only 200 on the board made it hard to defend.
“The wicket was really good yesterday afternoon. It was always going to be hard.”
Umair Butt and Max Birthisel got the wickets for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs will now play in a knockout semi final this weekend.
McDonald said they would rather not have to use the second chance, but are keen to make the most of it .
“It’s really a reward for all the good cricket we have played throughout the year,” he said.
“Being in the top four gives you a good opportunity. It’s not the way we wanted things to go, but at the end of the day it’s another opportunity.”
The Bulldogs will face St Kilda in the semi final, after the Saints beat Northcote.
The two sides faced off in the final round of the season, with the Saints winning on that occasion.
McDonald said if they play their best cricket, which they’ve done for 80 per cent of the season, they will hopefully get across the line.
Joining the Bulldogs first XI in the second week of finals is their second XI.
The second XI beat Prahran on the first day of play of the two-day match.
Prahran was bowled out for 106, with the Bulldogs 2-162 at stumps, with the match called then.
Stephen Mihelakos-James made 101 not out after the bowlers shared the wickets around.
