Nathan Allen top-scored with 38 runs for the Lions in Saturday’s loss to Werribee. 89169_19 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By ADEM SARICAOGLU
MELTON Lions coach Duncan Harrison says his side turned up to Chirnside Park on Saturday with a poor attitude that ultimately proved quite costly.
The Lions were soundly beaten by Werribee to the tune of eight wickets in their second Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association one-day outing for the summer after posting a paltry 96 runs in 43 overs.
“We got well and truly outplayed in every area of the game, we were very poor to be honest and we need to address it really quickly,” Duncan said the following day.
“As a group we didn’t turn up with the right attitude and we didn’t want to work hard enough.
“Sub-District cricket is good cricket and if you don’t come ready to go, you’ll get beaten because you’re playing good teams.
Melton’s top five batsmen were all dismissed for single figures and at one stage found themselves stranded on 7/28.
Harrison (37*) and Nathan Allen (38) managed to salvage something out of the innings for the Lions with a 49-run stand, but when Werribee’s Jake Purton broke that partnership, only 19 more runs were added to the total.
Chasing a small target Werribee made light work of its innings, reaching 97 for the loss of just two wickets within 33 overs.
Harrison admitted his side batted themselves out of the contest.
“At 7/28 you don’t win many games of cricket – but I suppose in getting to 96 we saved a little bit of embarrassment,” he said.
“Within the first 10 or 15 overs we obviously had to get some wickets, which we didn’t really do, so realistically we were probably dead and buried at 7/28.”
Despite such a poor batting display Harrison said he was pleased with Melton’s response in the field.
“I suppose the one thing we can take out of the game was the guys went out with the right attitude in the field and worked reasonably hard to make the target as hard as possible to reach,” he said.
“That showed a little bit of character within the group, but it was a really disappointing day and we as a group set higher standards than that.”
The Lions’ indifferent start to the summer sees them sitting ninth on the table with a 1-1 record, and with an upcoming one-day clash against the eighth-placed Kingston Saints looming this Saturday, Harrison says he expects his talented group to bounce back.
“We’ve got to go back to playing our brand of cricket, playing the way we want to play it and turning up with the right attitude,’ Harrison said.
“I think to be successful you’ve got to be really hard to beat, and (against Werribee) we weren’t really hard to beat.
“We addressed it on Saturday night and put it on the boys to bounce back.”
