Greenvale Kangaroos’s post-Christmas season improvement came to a screeching halt in Premier Cricket on Saturday.
After winning two matches and being competitive in the others since resuming from the break, the Kangaroos reverted to their bad habits against Melbourne Uni.
“It was a very poor day,” Kangaroos coach Steve Maddocks said.
“We started good and then it went downhill.
“I felt during the week they were a bit off the boil and [it] seems a few are ready for the season to be over.”
Seven balls before lunch, and at 2-118, the Kangaroos appeared to be in the box seat.
“Then Tony Ura, who had played really well, played a bad shot, Dale McDonald went out three balls later and we went to lunch at 4-118,” Maddocks said.
“Instead of having two set batsmen we had two new batsmen and we never recovered. It’s our worst performance since Christmas.”
The Kangaroos were all out for 170 and Melbourne Uni reached 1-103 in reply by stumps on day one.
Maddocks said the key to having any chance on day two of the match was creating chances.
“We didn’t create any chances,” he said.
“But the game isn’t over. We need to learn to be patient, which is what we haven’t been when we need to be.”
For Maddocks and the Kangaroos this weekend is the last one in a tough and long season, which has resulted in a total of 12 wins across four premier sides.
“Twelve wins is pretty poor,” Maddocks said. “We have been in positions to win and we haven’t known how to get across the line.
“I think we are ahead of last year [when they also won 12 games] but you’ll struggle losing nine out of the first 11.
“We haven’t had the players to step up and it will take time for the club to develop.”
Maddocks said the development of captain James Lidgett was one of the major positives to come out of the season.
“James is pretty stoic and has done pretty good in role handed to him as a 19-year-old,” he said.
“I hope it stands him in good stead for the future.”
