MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?
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Could Indian import Sahib Malhotra do a ‘Josh Mellington’ and win the run-scoring, despite missing a slab of the season?
Mellington claimed the Ovens and Murray Football League’s Doug Strang Medal for goal kicking, despite missing the first six games.
Malhotra has 309 runs at 103, with two tons and a half-century.
North captain Ash Borella leads with 577, followed by Lavington’s Matt Tom 505 and New City’s Saif Zaib 489.
BORELLA BACK
Borella regained touch with an unbeaten 70 off just 66 balls in North’s second innings against Belvoir.
The left-hander had a red-hot patch early in the season, striking a ton and successive half-centuries from round three.
But apart from an 83 against St Patrick’s on January 6, it’s been a lean time.
“That was great for us, he hit the ball extremely cleanly,” team-mate Chris Barrott said.
“He hit three sixes in a row off Noah Spiteri.”
Borella finished with five sixes and seven fours.
RED-HOT RESTALL
Could an in-form Luke Restall stop Belvoir’s season?
Or, moreso, could he pilot St Patrick’s to an unlikely finals berth?
East Albury is fifth (71.68), followed by New City (69.82), Belvoir (68.24) and St Pat’s (62.89).
Restall has racked up 321 runs at 107 in his last six innings.
“At Billson Park (Albury’s home ground), it’s pretty hard to get through the infield, so Luke hit a lot of balls over the top of covers, that’s taking the game on and controlling the batting,” coach James Kreutzberger said.
CALF CONCERN
Meantime, it was a tough weekend for the player who’s battled Restall for the title of the best bat over the past decade.
Wodonga coach Robbie Jackson was forced to retire on one after he injured his calf while batting.
“We’d already won, so there was no point pushing it even further before finals,” captain Jack Craig said.
“I reckon he’ll be right.”
The 42-year old has 272 runs at 54.4.
At the other end of the age scale, rising Wodonga talent Ollie Hollands acted as a substitute fielder.
ALSO-RAN NO MORE
New City’s three successive losses in the two-day format could torpedo its finals hopes.
But if the Phoenix fails to make the top six, coach Nick McDonald says the season’s still been a success.
“Yeah, absolutely, my goal was to build a better list for a start and to win between four and six games,” he said.
“Look, I will be disappointed if we don’t make it.
“But we’re not the easybeats we used to be.”
New City has an 8-5 record.
The club hasn’t played finals in its last six years of provincial.
VETERAN COMEBACK
One of the association’s best players of the past 25 years is back.
Andrew Lade has played three games for Tallangatta’s second grade, blasting 151 against New City.
“You never say never with Andrew,” coach Matt Armstrong said.
“If he wants to come and play, then I’d definitely think the door would be open but, for me, I think he’d be fairly comfortable seeing the season out in the twos.”
The 45-year old last played first grade in 2013-14, posting two tons and six half-centuries.