Tara Murray
Sunshine United knew this season was going to be tough, but it’s been tougher than it would have expected.
The Tigers lost several players after winning last season’s Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior premiership and entered the season with lower expectations than last season.
But with some injuries and unavailabilities on top of that, the side sits 0-6 and staring down possible relegation.
Tigers president Mark Dalrymple said it had been tough.
“We have lost too many players,” he said. “It was always going to be a tough year, but we didn’t think we would be 0-6 though.
“We have a bit of work to do to stay up.”
Dalrymple said they had chances in one or two games to take the points, but had been convincely beaten in the others.
He said the likes of Michael Glowacki and Thomas Duxson missing matches as well hadn’t helped their cause.
With players missing, the club has looked to blood some young players.
“We’ve had a bad run of injuries,” he said. “One game we played a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old, which we didn’t anticipate.
“They’ve now got some exposure.
“One young kid who probably wouldn’t have got a chance either otherwise is Kartik Nigah.
“He has done a good job opening and we’re really happy with the way he is developing.”
While the Tigers have their eyes focused on breaking through for a win, they know that there are also bigger things in relation to the competition.
The shadow of COVID-19 hangs over the competition. The VTCA cancelled its first round back after Christmas due to wet weather making grounds unavailable, with Dalrypmle saying it was a blessing with so many clubs hit by COVID.
“We had six out with COVID or as a close contact,” he said of the cancelled round. “Our seconds would not have been able to pick a team.
“Though it was cancelled by the weather, Covid is hanging over our heads. We’ll go to training this week, but we don’t know where we will be with player numbers.
“It’s a difficult time for everyone to get one the park each week.”
The Tigers are set to face the Doutta Stars on Saturday.
Both teams are without a win, a long way from last season when they faced off against each other in the grand final.
Dalrymple said the result of the match could ultimately decide which team finishes bottom.
