Palm Beach Currumbin captain-coach Ryan Kettle says young Lions now learning how to win
PALM Beach Currumbin captain-coach Ryan Kettle believes his young side is finally learning how to win after reigniting their Kookaburra Cup finals aspirations against Mudgeeraba Nerang.
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PALM Beach Currumbin captain-coach Ryan Kettle believes his young side is finally learning how to win after reigniting their Kookaburra Cup finals aspirations in spectacular style against Mudgeeraba Nerang on Saturday.
Having tasted victory just twice in their first seven fixtures, the Lions have roared into top-four calculations as a mammoth Jainam Patel and Jack Vare Kevere partnership and some final-over heroics from Zane Beattie delivered outright points at Salk Oval.
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Entering day two with the game in the balance at 4-110 in reply to Mudgeeraba’s 163, Patel (92) and Vare Kevere (71) took the game away from the Bushmen with a 156-run stand en route to 6-262 from their 75 overs.
With fast bowler Luke Mussett snaring 4-48, the Lions then rolled the visitors for 138 inside 39 overs to set up an outright victory target of 40 from four overs.
Enter Beattie.
With his side needing 19 from the final over and after coming to the crease at 2-4, Beattie smashed three sixes off Rhys Finn to catapult the Lions into a share of fourth spot.
“He’s probably our in-form batsman at the moment and he really showed how good he is,” Kettle said of Beattie.
“We’ve been putting decent batting performances together and decent bowling performances together but just not doing it in one game. We’ve still got a fairly young squad and they’re all still learning their game and their strengths but it is coming together.
“As they get more experience and learn to win – just learning how to complete a game of cricket – I think we’ve got a very good group looking forward into the future, not just this season but in seasons to come.
“Hopefully this game has turned us around a little bit and put us in the right direction and move on from here and push for a top-four finish by the end of the year. You play cricket to play finals and that is one of our goals this year to play finals.
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“These sort of wins do a lot towards putting us in the top four eventually. I don’t think it’s going to be an easy task to get too many outrights this year so we’re pretty happy with that result.”
At Crowe Howarth Oval, ladder leaders Burleigh (9-199 declared) extended their winning streak to eight games, despite being denied outright points by Runaway Bay (86, 9-96).
ROUND 8 RESULTS:
■ Queens 9-157 def. Southport Labrador 114
■ Helensvale Pacific Pinces 259 def. Coomera Hope Island 160
■ Mudgeeraba 163, 138 def. by Palm Beach Currumbin 6-262, 4-42
■ Runaway Bay 86, 9-96 def. by Burleigh 9-199 declared
■ Broadbeach Robina 270 def. Surfers Paradise 251
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