THEY are facing a whopping run chase, but Bethanga firmly believes it is capable of a phenomenal come-from-behind victory over Barnawartha-Chiltern today.
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They need to score 280 runs in 62 overs to chase down the total set by the Miners at Bethanga, which was set up by some classy batting from Sam Welsh (82) and Chris Hartshorn (100no).
Bethanga captain Brodie Sirl was disappointed to have let a few wickets slip through the Saints’ fingers.
“It’s always a good batting deck at Bethanga, so you have to make the most of every single chance you get,” he said.
“We missed out on a couple that could have gone either way, but to let someone finish on 100 not out will always come back to bite you.
“Full credit to Chris Hartshorn, he didn’t play a bad shot all day.”
Despite some disappointment in their fielding performance, Sirl believes the Saints have the batting depth to mount a fightback.
“I think one of the strengths of this side is that we bat pretty much all the way down,” he said.
“If we can build partnerships and make sure we convert our starts into 30 runs or more then I really think we have a shot at this.
“The Miners have a pretty good bowling attack, they seem to be developing well, so the key will be to bat patiently and wait for the bad balls to come.”
Bethanga is locked in a struggle for sixth on the ladder with Howlong and Yackandandah, with the trio separated by just 1.25 points, each with a record of 2-4.
With Howlong in a winnable position heading into day two of its clash with Yackandandah, it’s even more important that Sirl’s troops rally to reel in the Miners.
“We’re aware of where we are on the ladder, we know we need this game to stay in contention,” Sirl said.
He was looking towards some of his senior players to stand tall under pressure.
“It’s great to have Phil O’Neil back in, he brings a heap of experience, hopefully he can show some of these guys how to hang in there and build an innings,” Sirl said.
“Haydyn Roberts has been great this season as well but we just have to really concentrate at the crease and make sure that we’re all contributing.”