OOPS, they did it again. St Albans has blown it in yet another Victorian Turf Cricket Association north A1 finals series.
The Saints’ heartbreaking semi-final loss to PEGS has piled on the pain of six finals runs in seven years without tasting the ultimate glory.
They have lost four semi-finals and a grand final and had another semi-final washed out in that time.
Saints president Ian Mackenzie summed up the solemn mood at Gillespie Road.
“We are shattered, absolutely shattered,” he told the Weekly.
“We should’ve won, there’s no excuse not winning. We invent ways to lose [finals] games.”
St Albans were the most prolific run-makers in the division during the summer. In Simon Harman (first), Shane Jones (12th), Tom Langley-Dunn (23rd) and Ryan Jaeger (24th), they had four of the top 25 ranked batsmen.
A chase of 232 in favourable conditions was definitely a gettable score provided there were unwanted mishaps.
But as we know, run chases in finals rarely go to plan, particularly not for a nervous side with history against them.
The Saints appeared to be in total command in the early overs. They advanced to 48 before the first wicket and were just two down when the 100 came up.
“We were cruising for most of the day,” Mackenzie said. “The opening partnership was pretty good.”
Harman (96) and Wayne Walton (14) took the shine off the new ball. Harman, the leading run scorer in the competition with 683 runs at 48.8, transferred his season form into the finals with a super knock.
“One of the best knocks of the year, absolutely,” Mackenzie said. “While he was in, we always thought we were a chance.
“He had a fantastic year, really strengthened the top order.”
Jones, the boom recruit who made 93 and 110 in his previous two outings, could manage only four.
It was a blow, but the Saints still had an element of control at 2-117, until disaster struck.
Jaeger was run out, the cruellest way to go when you are looking in good nick advancing to 26. It would be the beginning of the end for the Saints.
“He was batting beautifully at the time,” Mackenzie said.
“He got run out and we lost three wickets for not much.
“It put us behind the eight ball and we had to rebuild again.”
The Saints could never regain control.
PEGS took wickets at important time and while the Saints tail of Dean Thorn (17), Andrew Pizaro (16) and Rohan Mackenzie (19) tried to resuscitate the innings, it was in vain.
“We blew it again,” Ian Mackenzie lamented before looking ahead.
“We’ll have to rebuild again for next year.
“If we have to chase personnel next year, we will.”
It is going to be another tough winter to endure for the Saints.
