Last ball heartbreak

And just like that, it’s the end of the year for the A grade Tigers. Ovens Valley United fell in the final round of the T20 competition at the hands of Wangaratta Magpies, with the match coming down to the final ball of the year. The Tigers made 7/120 after being asked to bat first, with the Magpies collecting a single off the final ball to secure the win. Batting first on a challenging and sticky wicket, opener and skipper Seamus Phillips mastered the conditions, notching up 49 from 45 deliveries, in an inning populated by five boundaries and a single six. Apart from Phillips, the returns were very slim from the batting order, with only two others making it past 10 runs, with Noah White recording 13 off nine balls, and Joe Monk unbeaten on 14 from eight deliveries. The next most runs came from extras (11). Despite setting the Magpies a run-a-ball chase, Phillips said he was confident his team could defend it, given how the pitch was playing. “It was a very sticky wicket, it took a bit to get used to it, you never really felt in,” he said. “It was just sticky, so anything on a good length or back of a length, it was just holding up in the wicket a lot with a little bit of sideway movement. “You couldn’t really drive anything, there was ballooning bounce, so after about the 12th over I just hung back in my crease, just trying to hit everything around the corner, wait for the ball to come into me and just play it off length. “It was very much defendable, we were probably just one bowler short.” The defence started brilliantly, with Joe Monk enticing an edge to remove the dangerous Cooper Matheson for a four-ball duck, but the Magpies kept pressing. Partnerships were formed but broken soon enough, with the Tigers’ bowling attack doing their best to keep the ‘Pies contained. Wangaratta’s Nic Bonwick formed the backbone of the chase, hammering 40 from 32 balls to keep Ovens Valley’s attack under pressure. It came down to the final over, with the Tigers needing to defend 10 runs to make it to the final. The first two deliveries went for singles, but Wangaratta’s Tom Rosser launched the third ball for a maximum, the Tigers were deflated. Rosser then ran two off the nest ball, tying the game before he was caught off the second last ball of the game, before Chris Clement heaved one over the covers to dash the Tigers’ hopes. James Neary was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 3/13, with four wides the only black mark on his record, while Joe Monk (2/17) and Daniel Saville (1/21) were serviceable. “T20s can go one of two ways, you need a lot of luck, I reckon,” Phillips said. “Little half-chances, if they don’t go your way, you’re probably not going to win. “Another medium pacer or quick on that wicket would’ve been real handy, just to use that ballooning bounce. “Spin wasn’t a bad option, but it was a lot easier to play spin than your medium to quick pace bowling. “We just missed that one extra bowler.” The result means the Tigers fell short of making the decider, but the hunt for silverware is still on at the Valley. While the A grade fell short, the A reserve squad has been flying through the short form, heading into the grand final with Benalla as undefeated favourites. The A reserve Tigers are fresh off handing the Bushrangers a 28-run loss on Saturday, headlined by Tom Chettleburgh (26 off 29), Nathan Cullen (25* off 34) and Owen Adams (2/8 off four). The A reserve T20 grand final between Ovens Valley United and Benalla Bushrangers commences at 4pm on Saturday at Norm Minns Oval, ahead of the A grade match between Yarrawonga Mulwala and Wangaratta Magpies from 7pm. While the A reserve side gears up for their title fight, Ovens Valley United Cricket Club will take on the Myrtleford Alpine Saints Football Netball Club in a friendly T20 match this Thursday to close out the year. The Tigers and Saints take to McNamara Reserve from 5.30pm on Thursday, with the barbecue sizzling away and bar facilities open.

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