No one can accuse Hoppers Crossing of ever waving the white flag.
The Cats were thought to have used up all nine lives early in the Sunday session of their Sub-District cricket qualifying final against Caulfield at Caulfield Park, but refused to accept defeat and hand over a cheap pass to the second week of the finals.
A remarkable, record breaking last-wicket partnership between Alex Wyatt and Brett Smith restored a bit of pride for the Cats.
In customary stubborn fashion, the Cats tail-enders added one last chapter to a memorable first season for the club in the Sub-District ranks.
Staring a massive 319 victory target in the face, the Cats were on the brink of an embarrassing elimination at 9-104.
To that point, middle-order batsman James Grixti (40) could hold his head high, and to a lesser extent Will Partington-Gardner (20) and Hendro Dias (17).
Otherwise, the scorecard made for cringe worthy reading for the Cats batsmen.
“We were really bad for most of the day,” Cats captain-coach Greg Kennedy told Star Weekly. “Maybe it was nervousness of a final.
“The biggest criticism, if there was one, with our team, is we can go three or four down too easily and that was the story this game.”
The result was beyond doubt.
The Cats knew when the ninth wicket fell – and probably much earlier – that its season would be coming to an end, but somebody forgot to give Wyatt and Smith the memo.
The gutsy lower order batsmen produced a club record 128 for the 10th wicket and frustrated the life out of the Caulfield players.
Wyatt finished with 69 not out, his top score of the summer, while teenager Smith raised the bat for his first half century en route to 61.
Kennedy has been immensely proud of his team this summer and felt it was fitting that it ended on a bright note and didn’t just fizzle out.
“From the start of the season, we said we weren’t the most talented team and we didn’t have the biggest names, but if everyone contributed, we were able to win games and that’s what’s happened,” he said. “From top to bottom, we all gave it a crack.
“We’re all good friends off the field, we work hard for our teammates and we’ve got a good attitude.”
It was always going to be an uphill task for Hoppers Crossing after the first day.
Their star-studded bowling attack lost control, giving up over 300 runs for the first time this season.
Dinesh Daminda fought hard for the Cats with 5-73, but could not find a way to dismiss dominant Caulfield batsmen Ricky Damiano, who made a match-winning 129, almost doubling his season output in one fell swoop.
Damiano was eventually removed by Wyatt, but the horse had bolted.
Damiano combined with Jacob Thorne (83) for a 154-run third wicket partnership and with that ended the Cats hopes of advancing.
Kennedy will have fond memories of the season and has vowed his side will come back bigger and better next summer.
“To have made a final in our maiden crack at the VSDCA was exciting,” he said. “There was such excitement, but hesitancy whether we could mix it with the best of them.
“We’d beaten Caulfield, who were second, we’d beaten Werribee, who were fourth, we won more games than we lost and I think we only lost one two-day game in the regular season.
“We were top 10 in the club championship and so we’ve been able to compete across the board.
“Now it’s time to stretch ourselves and do more than compete and to rake in some prizes, some flags and to keep carrying ourselves up the club championship ladder.”
