Endeavour Hills opener Ryan Pearson was one of just three batsmen in his side to reach double digits against Oakleigh at Warrawee Park Oval on Saturday.By Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills captain-coach Ben Maroney gave his players two options before their clash with Oakleigh at Warrawee Park Oval on Saturday.
The first was to play normally and hope to register wins in the last two games of the season to finish on a high.
The alternative was to launch all-out attack in an attempt to win both matches outright and barge its way into the finals.
Endeavour Hills’ players voted unanimously for the latter, meaning more risks and the chance they could lose both fixtures.
Unfortunately that exuberance was tempered when the Oaks ran through an ill-disciplined Hills line-up for just 107.
Only Maroney (40) and openers Justin Merlino (14) and Ryan Pearson (13) reached double digits in a disastrous performance that effectively killed Endeavour Hills’ finals hopes.
Maroney joined Merlino at the crease with the Hills stuttering at 3/24, and their 55-run alliance was the sole highlight of the innings.
Oakleigh bowlers Barry Ensil (3/8), Andrew Splatt (3/9) and Ben Pinwill (3/37) shared the bulk of the wickets.
“It was good that they were keen to try to do whatever they possibly could to make finals – it’s good in that way,” Maroney said.
“But it’s hard to get outrights, especially when you’re teeing one up at the start of the game.”
Desperate to keep its chances alive, Endeavour Hills delivered a lively opening spell, with first-change quick Simon Black picking up the early wicket his team required.
Reliable club servant Matthew Hutchinson (3/30) continued the charge by claiming two more victims to leave the Oaks at 3/40.
But several dropped catches, including the vital one of Ensil (33 not out) early on in his dig, prevented the Hills from remaining in the encounter.
Rising star Matt Aslett removed Chris Anderson to make it 4/62, but the fifth wicket did not fall until 98.
Oakleigh eventually went to stumps at 5/107.
“If we hadn’t dropped a couple of catches it could have been a different result; we could have had them 5 or 6/75,” Maroney said.
With several players unavailable and the second XI right in the thick of the finals race, Maroney handed 38-year-old club stalwart Jeff McBride his first XI debut on the weekend.
“We didn’t want to upset the twos, so we brought in Jeff,” he said.
“He’s not a major player in the twos, but is an honest bloke and gave us his all, which is all I could ask for.”
But Maroney was most impressed by dour opener Merlino.
“Justin Merlino is a very solid opener at the top of order and bats for long periods of time,” he said.
“I have a lot of time for him and he has a big future.
“He batted for an hour and a half and he’s the one who always tries to bat through the innings.
“He’s been fantastic this year and is only a youngster in his first real season.”
Endeavour Hills will aim for a reverse outright when the outing continues at 1pm on Saturday.
