Yarraville has been displaced from the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association north-west top six after a 70-run loss to an in-form Werribee at Chirnside Park on Saturday.
The Eagles were behind the eight ball from the outset in their chase for 234 target, starting the day on 3-2 and losing the early wicket of Bradley Shaw to be 4-3 in no time.
Even if the scoreboard looked perilous for the Eagles, captain-coach Matthew Love knew his side was far from finished with most of his recognised batsmen ready to pad up.
“The scoreboard shows four down for not many, but we knew a lot of our best batsmen were still to come,” Love said.
“We just needed to get a partnership and it happened with Nick Parish and I.”
Love and Parish combined for an 81-run fifth wicket partnership to breathe life into the Yarraville run chase.
Parish’s resolute batting was a handy bonus for the Eagles, as he usually comes in as a tail ender.
Parish only made 11, but he rotated the strike and saw out the good balls, allowing Love to be more aggressive at the other end and get the Eagles back in the game.
“He did his job 100 per cent, batting for 30 overs,” Love said. “He actually didn’t look like getting out.
“He was getting in behind the ball and dead batting it.
“It got us right back into the game.”
Love was the main threat for Yarraville.
The team leader was coming off a century and seemed destined to hit triple figures again, but snicked a ball to be out on 77. Love said the conditions never allowed him to settle.
“It was one of those wickets that you’re never in,” he said. “There was a lot of playing and missing last week and this week from both teams.
“It was just trying to capitalise on anything loose and keep the scoreboard ticking over and try and enjoy the challenge.
“Unfortunately one of them had my name on it and I nicked it through to Tim O’Brien [off the bowling of Jack Budd].”
Talor Williams (27), Matthew Harrison (11) and Josh Turner (18 not out) provided hope late on for Yarraville, but the chase proved too great after a slow start.
Yarraville slipped to eighth on the ladder and will rely on other results to reach the finals. They will host St Bernard’s at the Yarraville Oval in a two-day game starting Saturday.
In other matches, Williamstown continued its red hot form annihilating Ivanhoe by 248 runs on first innings at the Williamstown Cricket Ground.
Ivanhoe was bowled out for 76 in its first dig with Bryce Preston doing the most damage with 3-19 off 10. Ivanhoe just survived to stumps, finishing on 9-81, despite season-best figures of 5-12 off 11 for Jarrod Flood-Bauce.
Altona had a 44-run loss to ladder leader Melton. The A’s needed 233 to win, but were bowled out for 188 with Greg Sheehan on 68 and Shannon Clarke adding 54.
