Tullamarine upsets St Francis de Sales after off-field week from hell

It was the week from hell off-field for Tullamarine that finished with one of the club’s most memorable wins and it was largely thanks to the club president.

Tullamarine’s difficult week off-field finished with one of its finest wins in recent seasons on Saturday.

The club’s ground, Leo Dineen Reserve, was vandalised during the week and the pitch torn up by bike tracks, leaving the second day of its VTCA Division 1 clash with St Francis de Sales in doubt.

Strong rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday made the task even harder but volunteers worked tirelessly to fix the ground in time.

That work paid dividends when last-placed Tullamarine knocked off the second-placed Saints by one wicket in a thrilling finish.

The nail-biting victory keeps Tulla’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive after a difficult season that had seen them win just one game.

Justin Shield saved his club with the bat. Picture: Hamish Blair

Club president Justin Shield (14 not out) was the hero, hitting a pair of boundaries to steer his club home in a defiant last-wicket stand with Ushan Manohara (0 not out).

Skipper David Scott said given the week – and season – the club has had it was a tremendous result.

“Obviously it’s been a pretty tough year for our team, our boys, and we’d been in similar positions four, five, six times and haven’t been able to get over the line,” he said.

“To see the boys tough that one out was great, it was a pretty satisfying win that’s for sure.

“It’s been a long week, we didn’t know if we’d even get on with what happened with the wicket and our curator was away the back half of the week too.

“It took a few of us volunteers some time and then with the rain on Thursday and Friday we weren’t able to get on the wicket until Saturday morning.

“Myself and a couple of the lads got there first thing in the morning to try and get the wicket prepared and it was a delayed start with a couple of wet patches in the outfield.

“We were desperate to get on, obviously we need to win every game to avoid relegation and still need a bit to go our way even if we do win.”

St Francis de Sales was dismissed for 157 on day one of the match as Gihan Kankanamge ran riot with 5-43.

Tullamarine were in early trouble after losing both openers at 2-25 before Nishita Weerakoon (34), Kankanamge (32) and Scott (27) looked to have them on track for victory.

However, 4-13 collapse almost proved fatal before Shield’s match-winning knock.

“Five down, we weren’t cruising because they were bowling well, but we were comfortable but then myself and Dylan Watts went out in that middle period,” Scott said.

“Being seven-for with 20 or 30 runs to win, and like I said we’d been in that position before, and hoping like hell we’d be OK but then we lost another couple of quick ones.

“At nine down I was a little bit anxious but the prez whacked a couple of boundaries and got the job done for us.

“He did it quite smartly, he’s got a couple of shots he works with – the hoick over mid-wicket – and he’d hit one boundary in the over and they brought the field up and he backed himself and went over the top to do it again.”

Ben Harding was St Francis de Sales’ best with the bat, scoring 44 to take his team from a precarious 8-95 to all out 157.

Lucas McKinnon was the best with the ball, claiming 4-46 from 25 overs, while Blake McKinnon snared 3-38.

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Tullamarine is now nine points behind second-last PEGS with two games remaining and faces Seddon and Doutta Stars, while PEGS plays Sydenham-Hillside and Altona North.

In other results in Division 1, Sunshine (8-246) pipped PEGS (241) by two wickets thanks to Kaushal Lokuarachchi’s 5-48 and Selva Tharaka’s 88.

Patrick McArdle inspired Altona North (171) to victory over Doutta Stars (9-142) leading the way with bat and ball, scoring 37 and taking 6-21.

Sydenham-Hillside’s clash with Seddon and Airport West St Christopher’s match with West Coburg were washed out.