It took 14 rounds for newly promoted Sunshine United to work out where it fits in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division.
Heading into Saturday’s final day of the regular season, the Tigers had three outcomes open to them: a finals berth, mid-table safety or the dreaded relegation.
With a tiny 116 to chase against Seddon at Hanmer Reserve on Saturday, all three results – a loss, a first innings win and an outright win – were still in play for the Tigers, but captain Leigh Sheridan implored his side not to over-complicate things in the search of an unlikely outright.
“The competition being so tight, if we had’ve lost and results went against us, we were a chance of getting relegated,” he said.
“We had to make sure, first and foremost, that we made the 116 runs.
“Once we were in a good position, we started to reassess and think about the outright, but by the time we got to tea, we’d just passed them so it wasn’t realistic.”
Sunshine United completed its win with relative ease.
The Tigers were never seriously threatened, passing the target three down in just 51 overs.
Sangaran Nandhalal was in total control for the Tigers. He made a patient 82, which included just four fours.
“He was fantastic,” Sheridan said.
“It was a chanceless innings.
“He’s always had it in him, he’s made a few scores this year and he just bats nice and tidy.
“He’s not a big hitter, but he just manipulates the field real well, picks the gaps when he needs to and can hit a boundary when he wants to.”
Nandhalal featured in a match-winning 82-run second wicket stand with opener Scott Dalrymple.
Dalrymple only made 18 in the partnership, but his contribution was no less significant.
“He admitted himself, runs weren’t flowing and he was pretty scratchy, but he managed to hang around, which is what he’s good at,” Sheridan said.
“He can stay in for long periods of time and that’s what he did.
“He got us into a position where the game was ours.
“It was fantastic concentration in the heat.”
With relegation avoided, Sunshine United played the waiting game to see if it would be featuring in this year’s finals. All the Tigers needed was for St Albans to be beaten by Keilor and they got the present they were after.
“We were a game behind St Albans, but we had a better percentage,” Sheridan said.
“We just went in there making sure we got the job done and from there is was out of our hands.
“Luckily enough results went our way.
“You never know how you’re going to go coming up a division, so we’re rapt to have made the four.”
Sunshine United will travel to face minor premiers Doutta Stars in the semi-final, while Keilor will be away to Strathmore.
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http://www.starweekly.com.au/sports/keilor-cruises-into-finals/
