By Lance Jenkinson
Werribee’s unbeaten run, stretching back to November 10, remains intact after a thrilling tie with Oakleigh in a Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association one-day game at Warrawee Park on Saturday.
The Tigers and the Oaks were inseparable after 90 overs, both sides finishing on 6-112 from their maximum 45 overs.
It came down to the last ball, with Werribee needing four runs to win and three to tie.
Jonathan Burton got enough contact to flick the ball off his pads for three, the game ending in a deadlock.
It was a result that suited Werribee.
Not only did it keep the Tigers’ incredible undefeated run alive, but it also locked away second spot for the finals.
The outcome meant so much to both sides that Oakleigh audited the scorebooks post-match to see if there were any discrepancies.
It was eventually logged into the VSDCA’s online system as a tied match, much to the delight of Werribee.
Werribee captain Tim O’Brien said it was “a really good game of cricket”.
“There were stages where we controlled the game and they pegged it back,” he said.
“They got away from us for a bit, but we were able to peg it back.
“The tie gets us the result that we wanted in the end.”
Oakleigh won the toss and batted, reaching its total at a rate of 4.71 runs an over.
Oaks top-order batsmen Graeme Vimpani (63) and Brendan McGuinness (70) threatened to take the game away from Werribee with a 110-run partnership.
Spin did the trick for Werribee, with Michael Kelly (1-35) removing Vimpani and O’Brien (1-46) dismissing McGuinness.
Brad Apps was Werribee’s lone multiple wicket taker with 2-43, while James Freeman took 1-43.
It was a tricky target for Werribee to chase down.
The Tigers had to do it without star batsman Shaun Dean, who was out for personal reasons.
O’Brien stepped up to play the lead role for Werribee, making 67 off 99 balls.
A patient knock was required from the skipper and he was up for the challenge.
“It as a big ground out there, they put their fields in pretty good angles and there was not a lot of pace on the ball, so it was tough to hit the boundaries,” O’Brien said.
“There was a lot of ones and twos and threes in there, which probably showed because I’m not real fit at the moment and started to cramp up at the end. When I started to go, I ended up picking a bloke out on the fence.”
After O’Brien had set down the platform, it was over to Werribee’s middle order.
Adam Alifraco (35), Freeman (22) and wicketkeeper Matthew Harmer (21) put the Tigers within striking distance. A six and a four in the second-last over from Harmer were huge.
That paved the way for Burton’s last ball heroics.
“Not having Shaun today, it was pretty good getting a tie missing one of your best players,” O’Brien said. “We’ve never relied on one player this year. Someone different has stepped up in most games.”
Werribee will face Melton in a semi-final on the road at MacPherson Park this weekend.
The Tigers finished higher on the ladder and earned a home final, but had to give it up after Chirnside Park was reconfigured for use for the AFL’s JLT series and AFLW matches last weekend.
Meanwhile, Hoppers Crossing bowed out of the finals race with a heavy 113-run loss to minor premier Caulfield.
Set 215 for victory, the Cats could manage only 101, which saw them finished in eighth spot.
MORE VSDCA NEWS
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/williamstown-cruises-into-finals-campaign/
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/vsdcamelton-3/
