It’s a case of deja vu for Epping in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association’s Barclay Shield.
Twelve months after needing a win in the final round and for other results to go its way to make the finals , Epping finds itself in exactly the same situation again.
Until the last two rounds, Epping was comfortably in the top four and looking at a finals berth.
But now Epping is sixth, six points behind the third and fourth‐placed teams, with one round to play.
Epping captain‐coach John Lever said poor batting in the last two matches had let them down.
“We shot ourselves in the foot and cost ourselves in the last two games, Lever said.
“We have to now try to get points in the final round and see what happens with other results.
“Our batting has let us down. We haven’t been able to build partnerships and we’re not getting the runs on the board.”
Lever said the bowling, the side’s strength in recent years, had done the job again this year and
the focus would be on batting at training this week.
“Everyone is still up at the club,” he said. “We have teams in two other grades in the same situation as us.”
On Saturday, Epping lost to Old Paradians/St Francis, an almost inevitable result after making only 98 on day one the previous weekend.
The Wolves made 9‐176 in reply, before Epping reached 3‐140 in the second innings.
“They played better than us,” Lever said. “When you are bowled out for 98 that’s rarely ever enough to win.”
In other results, Bundoora United beat Plenty.
A week after losing points because of a rule breach, United’s 188 on day one of the match proved to be enough, as Plenty made only 172 in reply.
The result means that unless Plenty can get an outright win and Research Eltham Collegians loses,
Plenty will join United among three teams to be relegated.
Bundoora ensured it would stay in the top division with victory over Research Eltham Collegians, chasing down the Collegians’ score of 126 with three wickets in hand.
Shupinder Taggar’s 53 proved the difference between the two sides.
Bundoora is 11 points clear of 10th‐placed Mernda going into the final round.
In other results, Mernda (150) lost to Riverside (4‐169).
