Kew slumps to fourth consecutive defeat after Endeavour Hills scores stunning 15-run win
Kew’s form slump has continued after a shock defeat at the hands of VSDCA battlers Endeavour Hills, slipping to its fourth consecutive defeat.
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Kew’s form slump continued on Saturday after a shock defeat at the hands of Endeavour Hills, slipping to its fourth consecutive defeat.
The bottom-of-the-ladder Eagles sprung one of the upsets of the VSDCA season, scoring a 15-run win over last season’s grand finalists after it appeared Matthew Anderson and Michael Kelliher would guide Kew to victory.
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A half-century from Awais Ahmed (54) lifted Endeavour Hills to 9-192 — its highest one-day score in two years — before successfully defending the total, bowling the visitors out for 177 in 42 overs.
Kew won its first four games of the season but have since fallen to a 4-4 record to sit one game outside the North/East group ladder.
Kew captain Chris Weeks said his side’s campaign had been hurt by unavailabilities.
“When we haven’t had the continuity in terms of playing the same side every week, changes here and there, people away and stuff, it is hard to start playing good cricket,” Weeks said.
“It’s a bit of a game of momentum and at the moment we don’t have it, but we’ve shown our best cricket is good enough so hopefully we can find the right formula and get back on the winner’s list.
“We just haven’t obviously been able to deal with it as well as we had hoped but the challenge is there for the boys.”
Star pair Weeks (0) and David Wildsmith (6) both missed out on the runs as Matthew Hutchinson (3-29) and Richard Saniga (2-22) ripped through the top order, reducing Kew to 5-29.
Rohan Wight departed for 29 after a 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Anderson, before Kelliher crunched a half-century to have the contest evenly poised.
Kelliher (50) and Anderson (46) collaborated for a 66-run stand to progress the score to 6-151, only for Kew to fall 15 runs short of victory.
Weeks backed in his side’s to recapture its early season form that saw it emerge as one of the early premiership contenders.
“We’re going through a bit of a down period at the moment but our best cricket is good enough to compete with anyone,” he said.
“We’ve shown that over the last few years so I’ve got no doubt we’ll bounce back but we’d want to get a bit of a move on.
“It’s more blokes haven’t played together for a while again and people have been missing here and there and I think the back half of the season we’ll be pretty settled again.
“The blokes are pretty proud, I’m sure they’re hurting a little bit … if we can get back to having a bit of fun and enjoying each other’s company and winning, it makes it a hell of a lot more enjoyable.”
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