By Tara Murray
A disappointing all-round performance by Melton ended its Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association east-west season.
Needing a win to ensure a finals spot, with three teams outside the top six trying to fight their way in, the Lions had a tough day out against Yarraville.
The Lions were outplayed with both the bat and ball.
Lions director of coaching Anthony Gale said it was probably one of their worst overall performances for the season.
“Yarraville played some great cricket and out-played us,” he said.
“It sums up our season, inconsistent. It probably shouldn’t have come down to the final game.
“It was a disappointing finish for the lads.” Melton won the toss and elected to bat and were bowled out for 191 in the final over of the innings.
Nathan Taylor top scored for the Lions with 68, while Ben MacRae made 34 at the top of the order.
Gale said they didn’t think they had enough runs on the board.
“The boys said the outfield was fantastic and it’s always a high scoring ground,” he said.
“The boys said the wicket was really good and they thought we were 30-odd too short.”
The total would prove no match for Yarraville which made the runs with ease, finishing 1-192, with four overs remaining.
Matt Stead was the wicket-taker for the Lions. Gale said it was a combination of poor bowling and some really good batting.
“The boys didn’t bowl as well as they had in the past.
PHOTO GALLERY: Yarraville vs Melton
“They said only one ball went past the bat. They could have chased down another 60 runs.
“We couldn’t build any pressure.”
The loss resulted in the Lions going from fifth to eighth, finishing three points outside the top six.
The Lions were docked three points on a protest earlier in the season.
Those three points would have been enough to get them in the top six. Gale said it had been a really even season.
“A lot of teams would have felt like they could be anywhere from fourth to 10th and it proved that way.
“We’re disappointed with how the year went, a win on Saturday and we would have been one game from fourth.”
Gale said the season wasn’t all negative ,with the development of some of their younger players Adrian Monitto, in his second season in the first XI, has taken 18 wickets this season.
Dylan Jobson made his first XI debut and became a key player throughout.
Both are only 17. Jason Hibbert, another still playing under-17s, stepped into the first XI late in the season, with Gale saying he didn’t look out of place.
The Lions still have three sides in finals, their seconds, fifths and sixths.
Their second side, which Gale is a part of, just snuck in after also losing in the final round.
“It’s good to still have a couple of sides in finals.
