Frustrated New City captain Steve McLennan admits his team was a taught a lesson by powerhouse Wodonga on Saturday.
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While McLennan wasn’t happy with being forced to return to the field and bat in the rain, he was his straight-shooting self when quizzed on losing 4-7.
The Phoenix finished 6-23.
“Our first four wickets were complete, utter brain freezes mate,” he said.
“We didn’t need runs tonight (Saturday), we just needed consolidation between two blokes out there to make sure we got through the 16 overs.
Our first four wickets were complete, utter brain freezes mate. We didn’t need runs tonight (Saturday), we just needed consolidation between two blokes.
- Steve McLennan
“And next week we get 80 overs as well.”
New City are entitled to the full allotment on the second day of the season’s first two-dayer as Wodonga was bowled out for 216 from 61.3 overs.
The home team’s depth is such an obstacle though with Andrew Berg (47 from 70 balls) and James Tonkin (36 from 76) producing patient knocks in the middle order.
“To be honest mate, the wicket wasn’t as bad as the scores indicate,” Wodonga captain Jack Craig said.
“It was hard work, you really had to knuckle down and watch the ball more closely than you normally would.
“I wouldn’t say it (the wicket) was lively, it was probably a bit more up and down.”
Craig (32) and Tonkin posted 45 for the third wicket, then Berg combined with the latter in a half-century stand.
Even still, Wodonga slipped to 8-172 and was in danger of a mediocre score, but 24 runs for the ninth wicket between Tim Kennedy (15) and club president Leo McGhee (18), followed by 20 for the final wicket produced a competitive score.
And that now looks like Mount Everest after the visitors lost their first three batsmen for ducks.
The club’s leading run-scorers Darren Petersen and English import Saif Zaib failed to score for the first time.
Tim Kennedy was the destroyer with 4-9 from five overs.
“Class never leaves you,” Craig said of his veteran paceman.
“He’s an unreal bowler, he didn’t miss the spot, he bowled both ways, inswing and outswing.”
New City has stunned the league this season, jumping from second-last, with only two wins, last season to only two losses heading into the round 13 clash.
McLennan was asked if his rapidly improving team was taught a lesson.
“Mate, we were, because there was no need to play the shots that we played,” he said.
Some will feel New City has over-achieved and will now come back to the pack in the two-day forrmat.
Given the visitors need another 192 runs, with just four wickets left, this game appears over.
But New City will be out to show its batting was a one-off.