Thirty-four overs into the VTCA west B1 grand final, Footscray ANA players were feeling sick to their stomachs.
Thoughts must have abound along the lines of, ‘have we just blown a massive opportunity?’.
ANA had the chance to set the tone with the bat, only to be dismissed for a dismal 88 in 34.3 overs, leaving a confident West Newport, one of the top batting sides in the competition, with one hand firmly on the flag.
Then came ANA’s Houdini act.
Somehow, the bowlers found a way to extricate their side from a perilous situation, removing the Lions for 76.
How ANA managed to grab a 12-run lead from such a weak position is staggering.
It set the foundation for a famous premiership win.
“I’m finding it hard to sum it up in words,” ANA captain Daniel Nightingale told Star Weekly. “We’re thrilled considering we were so far behind in the game.”
All five ANA bowlers took wickets, including three to Damian Martin and two each to Billy Koziaris, Tyson Brennan and Sam Kuckucka.
Martin and Koziaris are only teenagers, still eligible for the under-17s.
ANA’s plan was to copy how the Lions bowlers went about it.
“The team who won the toss wanted bowl first because of a wet patch on the pitch that was just short of a good length,” Nightingale said. “We pretty much had the same conditions, so we wanted to pitch the ball up, but we also wanted to put the ball in the wet patch that was in the middle of the wicket. It was a bit unsettling for the batsmen of both teams when you’re coming forward naturally and the ball lobs up and you’re not sure what to do.”
It was not the defining point in this match.
With 90 overs still to play, ANA had to work hard with the bat in the second innings to avoid a repeat of their failings in the first dig.
So they batted, and batted, all the way to the 81-over mark, making 176 for a lead of 188.
Daniel Spencer chewed up 41 overs for his 36, Joshua Everest, batting at nine, lasted 36 overs for his 38, while Koziaris (18) and player-coach Daryl Veteha (29) played important knocks.
It left West Newport with nine overs and a near impossible required run rate of 20.8 per over.
The Lions opted to have a go at a run chase, but it only delayed the inevitable, as they produced some lusty hitting and entertaining cricket to make 3-89, falling short of victory by 100 runs.
“They wanted to see if they could knock off our total, which is fair enough, you never know what can happen,” Nightingale said. “Who would’ve thought we were going to defend 88 in the first innings? It’s a grand final and they have a funny way of working out.”
VTCA – West B1
Grand final: Footscray ANA 88 and 176 d West Newport 76 and 3-89
