Suddenly it's all over

MAD Monday has come early for the Sunshine Coast Scorchers after the XXXX Gold Premier Grade side slumped to a first-innings loss to Souths yesterday.

MAD Monday has come early for the Sunshine Coast Scorchers after the XXXX Gold Premier Grade side slumped to a first-innings loss to Souths yesterday.

The Scorchers needed at least a first-innings win, and other results to go their way, in the final match of the regular season to qualify for the semi-finals.

But Souths, who were out of finals contention, declared at 8-322 before bowling Sunshine Coast out for 243 to end the Scorchers' finals dreams.

Scorchers coach Brad Murphy said finishing seventh was a fair indication of how the side performed this season.

“I don't want to make excuses. We just weren't quite good enough,” he said.

“Everyone's had a crack out there. The difference is they made 322 and we didn't.”

After a promising start to the season, the Scorchers' post-Christmas form ultimately cost them. They lost their last four matches to slip from third to seventh.

“We just dropped off the pace – that would be fair enough (to say),” Murphy said. “We dropped catches at vital times when we had games for the taking.”

Scorchers bowlers Nick Fitzpatrick and Chris Welsh were the competition's top two wicket-takers for the season and Murphy said it would not take a rocket scientist to figure out the batting needed to improve.

“We need to score runs, and score runs at the top of the order consistently,” he said. “The blokes would agree with me there.

“We won games earlier on with small totals because we bowled and fielded well, but overall we just didn't score enough runs. It's as obvious as that.”

Captain Gerard Flegler (53) and Welsh (49) combined for a partnership of 77 yesterday, the highest ninth-wicket stand in the club's history.

“The side we've got is potentially a really good side,” Murphy said. “They're young guys who are learning to play cricket. It's tough to lose. I don't want them hanging themselves over it but I want them to hurt.”

Originally published as Suddenly it's all over