VSDCA 2018-19: Croydon scores upset 70-run win over Box Hill
Box Hill has let slip a golden opportunity to book its VSDCA finals berth, leaving the door ajar for St Bernard’s to grab the final place in the North-East section top six.
North West
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Box Hill let slip a golden opportunity to book its North-East Group finals berth, leaving the door ajar for St Bernard’s to grab the final place in the top six.
The Mustangs’ fairytale run to a top-six berth could rest on the toppling finals-bound Plenty Valley this weekend after their six-game winning streak was brought to a halt by a surprise 70-run defeat against the out of the running Croydon on Saturday.
Box Hill looked in control at 3-84 chasing the Cockies’ 184, but lost its last seven wickets for just 34 to be all out for 118 after Steve Wright and Tom McQuinn combined to rip through the Mustangs’ middle-order.
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Teenager Luke Davidson topscored with 43, sharing a 53-run union for the fourth wicket with Angus Hands (22), but both fell in quick succession.
Hayden Rayner (3) came and went on the cusp of tea to tilt the game in Croydon’s favour at 6-90 before Box Hill was eventually bowled out in the 49th over.
Box Hill coach Michael Vozzo applauded the performances of Davidson and Hands but said his side needed more contributors.
“Other than that, really, we were average,” Vozzo said.
“There is still a lot of confidence among the group, I just think we had a day where we probably only had two contributors, which has been unlike us.
“What we’ve had nearly the whole season is if a couple are down, there are five or six who are contributing and that’s just what we didn’t have.”
Blake Nikolic and Manraj Virdi both staked a claim for a recall with centuries in the Second XI, while star batsman Somil Bandi could also return.
St Bernard’s would need to topple ladder-leader Bayswater in the final regular season fixture and need Box Hill to slip up against Plenty Valley to replace the Mustangs in the six.
McQuinn finished with 4-31 from 10.1 overs, bringing him to 25 scalps for the season, while Wright snared 3-21 off nine overs.
Chris Brown also removed openers Brodie Eccles (10) and Tom Newman (11) before dismissing middle-order batsman Brady Robinson (4) to finish with 3-29 off 11.
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