Top knock … Terry Bayly’s man-of-the-match performance was not enough to get Sydenham/Hillside over the line in the NWCA one day final on Sunday. 59836 Picture: EMILY LANE
By Dejan Kalinic
SYDENHAM/HILLSIDE succumbed to its first one-day loss of the season at the worst possible time, falling to a five-wicket loss at the hands of Buckley Park in the Luscombe-Gibbs Shield final.
Previously undefeated in the shorter form of the game, Storm couldn’t defend a total of 9/194 and the Beavers took victory with 10 balls to spare in the North West Cricket Association.
Storm captain-coach Bob Kunesevic rued missed chances and felt his team’s uncharacteristically poor performance in the field cost it the game.
“We didn’t hold onto our catches,” he said.
“There were a couple of dollies as well. Normally we catch those but on this occasion we didn’t. What do you put it down to? Do you put it down to pressure? You can’t buy that type of experience.”
After winning the toss, Storm got off to a flying start thanks to Graham Muir Medallist Terry Bayly.
The opener took man of the match honours for his blazing half-century, two-wicket haul and lively effort in the field, including effecting a run out.
“He was batting really well and he was setting himself for a big one,” Kunesevic said of his opener.
But it was a struggle in the second half of the innings where wickets fell at regular intervals.
Kunesevic said he was disappointed his team didn’t execute as it had all season after the top order made a strong start.
“I don’t think the boys knuckled down. I think the pressure really got to them,” he said.
“We had three silly run outs and from experienced players as well. It was a strange game.
“Blokes in our side (were) relying on other people to do the work and didn’t want to take the ownership. We didn’t do what we’ve done all year.”
Kunesevic said Storm was confident of defending its target and didn’t believe his side was 10 to 20 runs short.
“Five runs an over is pretty hard on any ground. Credit to Buckley Park, they batted really well.”
Catches went down in the first two overs of the Buckley Park innings and allowed the Beavers to make a fantastic start to their chase.
Despite a middle order hiccup, they passed the target in the 39th over with five wickets to spare.
Bayly and Alexander Hassett were the pick of the bowlers for Storm and Kunesevic is already looking ahead to the remainder of the Luscombe Shield season.
“They (Buckley Park) bowled well. Our bowling was OK, nothing spectacular,” Kunesevic said.
“We move on and hopefully we can finish on top of the two-day competition.”
They host fierce local rival Kealba-Green Gully in the second last round of the season, looking to snap a form slump that has seen them drop two of their last three games.
Burnside Springs moved off the bottom of the ladder with a 69-run win over Campbellfield.
A five-wicket haul by Haider Cheema helped the home side bowl out their visitors for 255.
