Werribee’s quest for an undefeated season in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association is over.
The Tigers’ winning streak in east-west first XI was halted at 11 after a 32-run loss to title contender Oakleigh at Warrawee Park on Saturday.
It was the first time the ladder-leading Tigers had been on the wrong side of the scoreboard since last year’s grand final.
Tigers captain Shaun Dean said that while the situation was “not all doom and gloom”, it was a bitter pill to swallow after being in a strong position late on day two.
“We were in a very good position to win the game,” he said. “We had it all set up and at tea you couldn’t have scripted it better for what we wanted.”
But a spectacular last-session collapse brought about the Tigers’ downfall. They lost 7-51 in quick time to go from a position of strength to shock losers.
There was no run-rate pressure – 58 balls were left unused – and the Oaks’ chief destroyer, Michael Splatt (5-44), was not exactly making the ball dance off the pitch.
“Splatt seemed to be bowling on the spot, at the stumps; no shape in the air or nothing out of control, but he ended up with all the wickets,” Dean said.
“I don’t think that was good enough from our guys – to let someone who’s bowling straight up and down get five wickets.
“He just bowled in the right area and got the rewards.”
Chasing 274 for victory, the Tigers made a bright start through openers Matt Dean (52) and David Wolfe (31), who put on 58 for the first wicket.
The Dean brothers – Matt and Shaun (19) – combined to take the score to 96 for the second wicket before Matt featured in a 46-run stand with Tim O’Brien.
O’Brien cruised to 69 not out, but was not given a free rein by the Oaks, who used a defensive field setting to keep him on the leash.
O’Brien was happy to take the singles on offer, but when it came to the crunch, the tailenders didn’t give him the support he needed and the Tigers were all out for 241.
“They sort of conceded they weren’t going to get Tim out and almost had five on the fence from when he was on 30, giving him a run a ball,” Dean said.
“For a while it wasn’t working for them, but in the end it proved quite a good tactic because they ran through us quite quickly with Tim not being able to get the strike back.”
The Tigers will defend top spot when they face Bayswater at Chirnside Park on Saturday in the last game before the finals.
