Things well and truly look up for Old Students after finishing with an improved record.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Fate repeats itself in cruel ways sometimes in the game of cricket.
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Saturday had the chance to present any number of different combinations and final placings on the last afternoon of the Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield’s regular season.
One particularly heartbreaking element has carried over from 12 months ago, however, despite Numurkah entering the weekend favoured to do its business against Old Students at Numurkah Showgrounds.
Old Students' James Meek made the first breakthrough of the day.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
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Old Students' Jake Sutherland had a major hand in stifling Numurkah's chase.
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Megan Fisher
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Old Students keeper Noah Muir claimed two catches before making his fifty.
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Megan Fisher
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Numurkah's Bailey Smith battled during the day's early stages.
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Megan Fisher
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Numurkah's Bailey Smith gets one out of the middle.
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Megan Fisher
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Old Students' Oscar Lambourn and Noah Muir had little to worry about.
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Megan Fisher
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Numurkah's Ben Beaumont and Bailey Smith have a quick conference during a break.
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Megan Fisher
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Numurkah's Ben Beaumont tries to slice one towards the rope.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The Blues had given themselves every chance after a mighty showing with the ball, holding the hosts to 144 on day one before making an encouraging start on offence to sit little more than a century away at stumps.
There was no denying, though, that no matter how firm Numurkah’s upper hand may have been on paper, there was still a need to exorcise the mental demons which plagued Tim Arnel’s side a year ago.
Ragu Aravinthan’s promising start with the bat was undone shortly after the resumption of play, while fellow carry-over batter Dylan Grandell departed without Numurkah’s tally moving up.
The nerves had to be creeping up among observers who had witnessed scenes like these before and the consecutive removals of Bailey Smith on 15 and James Du Toit for two left everything feeling rather fragile with the home side at 6-78.
Arnel himself could do little to steady the ship as the Students’ bowling attack looked a picture of cohesion, with one or another always popping up in the required moments to stall Numurkah’s momentum.
All of a sudden, the Blues needed 36 runs with only Matt Cline and Connor McLeod left to deliver the goods; of course, Cline had been part of a heroic late chase earlier in the season against Shepparton Youth Club United.
Cline certainly did his best to repeat the dose, actually crafting out his side’s top score with an unbeaten 19, but it wasn’t to be as Numurkah yet again surrendered a finals position at the last gasp.
THE GAME
Numurkah 131 (Matt Cline 19*, Ben Beaumont 18, Bailey Smith 18, Jake Sutherland 3-34) lt Old Students 144 (Oscar Lambourn 51, Sam O’Brien 25, Raguvaran Aravinthan 3-23) and 1-120 (Noah Muir 54*, Sam O’Brien 51*, Bailey Smith 1-4)
STAR PLAYER
Jake Sutherland (Old Students): It might be a bit stiff to overlook Muir for his prolific scoring, but Sutherland was massively instrumental as part of a perfectly synced Students attack to bring Numurkah down. Set the tone brilliantly in removing two of the Blues’ greatest threats early.
That’s not to say Callan McCabe’s side was an afterthought in this scenario — far from it.
The Students’ 13-run first-innings win was testament to what must be hailed as a marked improvement this season compared to last, finishing with an even win-loss record and claiming a handy scalp at the death.
Jake Sutherland was top of the pops with his three wickets, but there was even more to like when the decision was made to resume play.
Back on the scoring end of the game, Sam O’Brien and Noah Muir could hardly have wished for a more encouraging end to the campaign as both saluted with half-centuries.
Just quietly, when all was said and done, the Kialla natives were only a single game out of finals.
One to keep an eye on in 12 months’ time, no doubt.
In the meantime, Numurkah will find itself grappling with the near-unthinkable double dose of misery that puts the northern outfit on the sidelines for finals once more.
