By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE cricketing gods seemed to be conspiring against Sydenham Hillside on the final day of the home-and-away season in the NWMCA’s Luscombe Shield on Saturday.
The Storm, needing a win and other results to go its way coming into the final two-dayer of the summer ahead of the finals, gave itself every chance after a stellar day against competition frontrunner Pascoe Vale Central last week.
The hosting Storm had bowled the visitors out for just 111 on day one before contributing 2/57 to its run chase in the final 26 overs of the day’s play.
Coming into the second weekend of the crucial clash, Sydenham Hillside will have fancied its chances of getting the remaining 55 runs with eight wickets still in hand.
However, with the Pascoe Vale Central attack getting its act together on the second day, the Storm’s middle order crumbled to ultimately fall an agonising six runs short of victory.
As it turned out, though, the result ended up proving irrelevant to the Storm’s chances of sneaking into the top four after crosstown rival Kealba Green Gully failed to get the job done against Gladstone Park on Saturday.
The second-placed Cougars – already guaranteed a finals berth – couldn’t defend their total of 143 from seven days earlier.
The game came down to the final over with Gladstone Park clinging onto its final wicket – eventually getting the job done to finish at 9/146 with just four balls to spare.
Kealba’s Andrew Webb and Matthew Nadzielski each claimed three wickets, while Hillside Essendon District Football League premiership player Jarrod Catania got two scalps of his own.
Sydenham Hillside finished just two points shy of the top four and will have all of winter to get ready for next season, while the Cougars will get another crack at Gladstone Park at Green Gully Reserve this weekend.
