Darley Cricket Club’s season has ended after its second XI was eliminated from the Ballarat Cricket Association second-grade finals at the weekend.
The seconds were the only senior side from the club to make the finals, but despite pushing top side East Ballarat all the way they fell just short.
Sent into bat, East Ballarat openers Andrew Doolan (21) and Adam Toohey (26) got their side off to a great start, but the next five batsmen contributed only 25 runs between them.
Easts were in trouble at 7-75, but crucial runs down the order from Brad DeJong (37), Bradley Hallam (30) and Harry Christie (20no) helped build a final total of 171.
Jamie McKerrow was the star for Darley with 5-29 from 18 tight overs.
It was a similar story in the Darley innings on Sunday, with openers Tim Hughes (18) and Hayden Jamieson (19) building a solid platform before three consecutive ducks in the middle order had the team in trouble at 6-49.
McKerrow (24) and David Hoey (46no) restored some pride, but they found support hard to come by as Darley was eventually dismissed for 154.
