Down but not defeated
Signs were looking promising with just eight overs remaining when Jack Blain (34) and Jack Taylor (51) needed less than a run-a-ball, before three wickets in 10 deliveries left Victoria needing too many off the final overs.
Coach Jarrad Loughman was able to identify where his side lost the game.
“Four of our last five partnerships were under 10 runs and we really needed those contributions towards the end of the innings,” Loughman said.
“Their leading bowlers were pretty steady and put us under pressure towards the end, which made it difficult to score.
“The pressure builds up when you have to score over a run-a-ball, and we couldn’t do it yesterday.”
Despite the defeat, Loughman found many positives to take from their opening clash.
“We were pretty pleased with our bowling effort, restricting them to 183,” he said.
“It was probably 20-25 more than we would have liked, but I couldn’t fault their effort.”
Having been invited to bowl first, things were looking promising for the Pat Mckenna-led outfit after Ben Ashkenazi (4-37) and Shea Gribben (1-20) rocked the South Australian top order to reduce them to 3-29 after 11 overs.
Loughman commended the bowling effort, despite the South Australians scrambling to 183 after rallying late.
“We bowled really well as a group and managed to take wickets at regular intervals,” Loughman said.
“(Ejaaz) Alavi bowled really well and beat the bat a few times.
“Ben Ashkenazi was also a standout for us with 4-37 – his bowling in the situation was outstanding.”
Sean Griffin snared 3-31, while Matt Fotia claimed 1-36.
The National Championships continue today, with Victoria taking on hosts Tasmania.
Follow regular updates on Cricket Victoria Pathway’s Facebook page or CVPathway on Twitter.
To see a full scorecard from the National Championships, click here.
Recent Posts
-
29 April, 2024Cricket Victoria Women’s Community Cricket Competition Awards 2023/24
-
23 April, 2024Cricket Victoria and Academy Movement bring cricket to the classroom
-
2 April, 2024Cricket Victoria launches Melbourne Cricket Academy in India in partnership with KheloMore Sports
-
27 March, 2024Victoria to host first-ever day-night MCG Test
-
26 March, 2024Carlton and Melbourne triumph this Kookaburra Victorian Premier Cricket season
Categories
Archives
Please note that Lane Bookings cannot be purchased in the same cart transaction as other online shop orders – they must be purchased separately.