By Tara Murray
Plenty Valley’s premiership defence is hanging by a thread in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association north-south competition.
With three rounds remaining, Plenty Valley sits in the unusual position of 12th and could miss finals for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
After an encouraging start to the season, the Bats are yet to have a win in 2020.
They have now lost an unheard of five games in a row, and slipped down the ladder.
The side is sitting nine points outside the top six, with a maximum 26 points available over the three remaining rounds.
The Bats will now need results to go their way if they are to move back into a finals spot and challenge for a second successive premiership.
On Saturday, the Bats weren’t able to prevent Brighton from chasing down the runs in day two of their two-day match.
The Bats made a more than competitive 248 on day one on the back of skipper Ryan Pearson making 93.
With a score like that on the board, they were confident they could get the job done.
The Bats got off to the perfect start with an early wicket to Dayne Smith, but it would be tough going from there. Brighton was 1-106 and it would later be 2-197.
There would be a mid-innings fightback by the Bats, who would take constant wickets throughout the back half of the innings.
They managed to have Brighton 8-246, but couldn’t get the last two wickets to get the much needed win. Brighton finished 8-251.
Skipper Ricky Damiano was the match winner for Brighton making 136 after coming in first drop.
For the Bats, Ryan Pearson and Daniel Heatley took two wickets each but it wasn’t enough.
The Bats have two two-dayers and a one-dayer to turn around their season, with two of those matches on the road.
All three matches are against sides trying to seal a finals berth.
A poor end to the season could result in the Bats finishing last, currently just six points ahead of bottom side Coburg.
They face sixth-placed Ormond in a two-dayer starting this weekend, before playing ninth placed Elsternwick.
In other results, it was a tough weekend for the Bats, with three out of their four sides suffering losses.
The second XI also lost to Brighton, with their total 183 no match for Brighton’s 8-271.
The third XI made 173 in reply to Brunswick’s 243. The fourth XI was the only victor, after making 3-205 in reply to Brunswick’s 175
