Premier Cricket 2023-24: Ringwood’s Lachie Bangs hits 150 in qualifying final loss to Carlton

Ringwood batsman Lachie Bangs dragged his side back from the brink of collapse in the qualifying final against Carlton on the weekend, firing off 150 in a losing side.

Ringwood batter Lachlan Bangs put on 150 off 171 balls, including six fours and eight sixes. Picture: Valeriu Campan

It could be among Premier Cricket’s greatest knocks in a losing First XI final.

Ringwood’s Lachie Bangs smashed 150 in his side’s 31-run defeat to Carlton in the weekend’s 2 v. 3 qualifying final, hauling in 12 boundaries including eight sixes.

Staring at 3-46 after opening pair Jackson Freeman and Adam Amin were removed cheaply and with leading run-scorer Tom Rogers dismissed for 29, Bangs took the crease and “dragged us back into that game”, Ringwood coach Sean Flynn said.

The former Prahran talent crossed to the Rams last July, following returns of 394 and 369 with the bat in his previous two campaigns, after 424 in the True Blues’ 2020-21 premiership-winning season.

He’s sailed past that mark in his first campaign as a Ram, putting on 442 at 31.57.

“It was a pretty special innings, I guess it was just unfortunate that it ended up being in a losing team,” Flynn said.

“He got a hundred on his own in a session, between lunch and tea (and) dragged us back into that game, really, some outstanding stroke play and some really clever decision-making and great skill-execution throughout the course of his innings.

“He’s got 150 out of our 326, so he was really the main man.”

Captain David King poured in 28 runs off 47 balls, while wicket-keeper Ben Gibson made 40 off 78.

The result marks a second-consecutive defeat to the Blues, after falling in the last home-and-away round by three wickets.

Flynn lamented his side’s lack of a triple-figure partnership in the weekend’s chase of Carlton’s 9-357.

Four Blues passed the half-century mark, with Tom Smyth (58) and Harrison Smyth (56) lighting it up, while opener Mackenzie Harvey (93 runs) and captain Evan Gulbis (87 not out) nudged the ton.

“We didn’t get a hundred-run partnership … we didn’t get that big winning partnership to get us toward that total,” Flynn said.

“Chasing 357 is always going to be difficult, but we knew that when we elected to bowl first.”

The loss sets up a semi-final showdown with Richmond, which turfed Fitzroy Doncaster from the premiership race on the weekend.

The Rams won the corresponding fixture last year before a 70-run victory in Round 15 this season.

“We played Richmond in this game (semi-final) last year, at Richmond, so it’s a rematch,” Flynn said.

“We’ve got a really healthy respect for Richmond, they’ve got very good players and it’ll be a big weekend at Ringwood.”

Semi-final: Ringwood v Richmond at Russell Lucas Oval, March 9-10.