A stunning collapse with the bat has left Mount Beauty with a mountain to climb with three rounds to go in the CAW District First Grade competition. After last week’s cancellation due to the extreme heat, players from both sides were back in very warm conditions in the upper Kiewa Valley. The visiting Yackandandah won the toss and elected to bat, with a 53-run opening stand within 11 overs justifying the decision. The game changed in an instant when seamer Ethan Brown (2/24) found the edge of Roos opener Cooper Garoni and then captain Bailey Glass, who reluctantly departed for a golden duck the very next ball. While there were a few smaller partnerships built by Yackandandah, the Power’s all-seam attack restricted the scoring somewhat thanks to a steady flow of wickets from Mark Flay (4/28) and Shannon Carter (2/32), leaving the home side with a gettable target of 160. With captain Greg McLennan sliding down the order, Will Betheras (18) and Harry Metcalfe (8) took care of the new ball within the initial powerplay overs. Disaster struck for the home side when Metcalfe and Frank Iaria were dismissed within consecutive overs, before Betheras and Nick Iaria (11) attempted to salvage the early setbacks. But the innings went from bad to worse as the Power lost a barely believable seven wickets for eight runs, saved from a complete capitulation by a 35-run 10th-wicket partnership involving Lincoln Wilson (22) and Shannon Wilson (9 not out). McLennan praised his side’s ability to compete with ball in hand, but there was little to celebrate about the performance with the bat. “We started off pretty well but then Cooper Garoni latched onto a few balls that weren’t where we wanted them and they got away from us,” McLennan said. “I was delighted with the effort in the field in warm conditions, and to bowl Yackandandah out with a target of four an over to chase was terrific. “After a solid start with the bat, we lost a lot of wickets in the middle part of the innings and that was that.” The 76-run loss leaves Mount Beauty in a very precarious position in search of an unlikely finals berth, and will need to win their final three games, starting this Saturday against Barnawartha-Chiltern, the team they’re hoping to replace in the finals mix. “No doubt it has been a difficult year,” McLennan added. “Training has been severely impaired by our nets being out of commission for the bulk of the season and while we are delighted they are being upgraded and expect that they will greatly improve our prospects, it cannot be denied that the upgrade occurring in the middle of the season has been hugely disruptive, as our players simply cannot hit enough balls at training to gain form. “I am very grateful for the player group persevering as they have under difficult conditions and look forward to our next opportunity to take to the field.”
