VSDCA: How Melton broke its winless drought for the 2023-24 season

Winless heading into the new year, something had to change for Melton to get off the bottom of the Subbies ladder and it came down to a simple shift according to coach Mitch Stephens.

Melton captain Ben MacRae. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The first half of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association season was a struggle for Melton.

Now there is a strong sense of positivity around the club after the Lions broke through for their first win of the season by 36 runs against Coburg on Saturday.

Before Christmas, the Mitch Stephens coached Lions had lost seven games and languished at the foot of the North-West group table.

Now Stephens has credited his side’s victory down to a mentality shift away from the field.

“We’ll take a lot of confidence from this one but I felt like we were building towards playing some better cricket,” he said.

“We weren’t too happy with the performances we had been putting together and it all started training. Even before Christmas, the training standards had gone up again, everyone had been training harder.

“It felt like that attitude around training being a contest was really back for us and it allowed for us to start the year off with a win.

“Last season we managed to string together a few wins at the start of the new year so hopefully Saturday’s win can spark something similar.”

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Melton posted 4-204 from its 45 overs with Ben MacRae stranded on 99 not out.

He faced just two balls in the final over as Coburg’s Will Dunon bowled a tight line and length to deny the Lions skipper a century with Conrad Farrugia unable to get off strike until the second last delivery.

“Benny might have been low on confidence but he hasn’t lost his touch,” Stephens said.

“It would have given the group a good lift when they saw the skipper getting bat on ball so successfully again.”

Joel Mitchener and Stephen Shields were the pick of the bowlers with three wickets apiece while off-season recruit Rhys Berry continued his brilliant season with two.

“Rhys has been awesome, he’s been the bowling change we’ve needed,” Stephens said.

“He’s taken a wicket in every game except one. Mitchener and Shields were able to keep us in the game through those middle overs and ended up getting the rewards they deserved.”

Melton will next take on St Bernard’s.