By Lance Jenkinson
Taylors Lakes captain Jarrod Wakeling has labelled the batting collapse that led to his side’s seven-wicket loss to reigning premiers Williamstown in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association south-west group at Lionheart Reserve on Saturday as “embarrassing”.
The Lions were all out for a disappointing 122 after winning the toss and electing to bat in the one-day game.
It was the late innings collapse, the Lions losing their last six partnerships for just five runs, that left Wakeling fuming.
“We were 4-117 and looking at posting a score around the 150 or 170 mark,” Wakeling said. “After that, our batting was just terrible.
“There was 25 minutes of the game where we lost 6-5 and that essentially ended any chance of us being competitive.
“It was disgusting, it was embarrassing.”
Taylors Lakes’ top order negotiated the new ball well. Michael Brne was looking in fine form on his way to 30 before he was run out.
Nipun Sumanasinghe kept up his consistent form with 44, while Dilshan Kanchana added 25 in the middle order.
“We had a few good partnerships at the start,” Wakeling said.
“Our opener Mick Brne batted well, he played some nice strokes.
“Then the two imports, Nipun and Dilshan, both batted really well. They went out close together and once the domino started, it just continued unfortunately.”
It was the middle to lower order batsmen who drew the ire for Taylors Lakes.
It took just 25 minutes of fury from the Williamstown bowlers to all but take the game away from the Lions.
While the bowling was good, Wakeling felt that too many of his batsmen gave up their wickets too cheaply.
“To Williamstown’s credit, they bowled in the right areas and did the right things, but the wickets that they got in the 6-5 certainly weren’t balls that turned three metres or because a tearaway quick was too quick, it was just guys that didn’t apply themselves and missed a couple of straight ones,” he said.
Despite the low score to defend, Taylors Lakes fought the game out as best it could in the field before its inevitable defeat.
It took Williamstown 34.5 overs to chase down the small total.
“Our bowling and fielding energy was really good,” Wakeling said.
“We had them 3-70-odd and felt we were in the game, but when push came to shove, 122 just wasn’t enough.”
Second last on the table, Taylors Lakes is a massive 15 points outside the top six.
