CATS RUE MISSED CHANCE
They made 300-plus, but Geelong can’t help but think the total should have been more.
A 100-RUN opening stand between Mitch Reid and Tom Treble helped Geelong post its highest score of the season against Monash on Saturday.
Reid (67) and Treble (46) set the tone for the afternoon for the Cats at Geelong Cricket Ground, but a lack of partnerships through the middle order resulted in the home side finishing on 312 when a total much higher had looked on the cards.
In-form batsman Eamonn Vines (51), Angus Boyd (15) and Josh Cobb (24) all made starts but failed to capitalise, while Dom McGlinchey (44) held the tail together but was run out scampering for late runs.
But while there was a sense of frustration within the Geelong camp, stand-in coach Liam Buchanan said the Cats were well placed going into day two next week.
“It wasn’t a bad day, it would have been good to see one of the batsmen go on and get 100, but lots of guys got good starts, so 300 should be defendable if the boys bowl well,” Buchanan said.
“I think the boys would be a little bit frustrated. They were pretty positive at the end of the day but that is one of our KPIs to get one of the top six to make a big score . . . but 300, we’re still pretty positive.
“If the pitch is similar then some really good bowling plans (will be the key), and we’ll have to be patient and work really hard to get 10 chances.
“They have a couple of good players but we haven’t focused too much on their side, we think if we bowl to our plans and we’re pretty strong with our spinners then we believe we can take 10 wickets against anyone.”
Vines’s knock was the seventh time the left-hander has passed 50 in Premier cricket this season, which combined with his back-to-back centuries for Victoria’s Futures Leagues team means he has scored 964 runs before Christmas in all competitions.
Buchanan said while the likely return of Peter Handscomb to the Victorian squad would make earning a call up to the Bushrangers side a little trickier, he had no doubt Vines was ready for first class cricket.
“Eamonn knows his game really well now and he doesn’t go outside that too much,” he said.
“I just expect him to make runs every time he goes out to bat now.”
Monash will resume at 0-22 next week and Buchanan said a fourth win from five games would be the perfect gift for the team.
“It would be a great way to enter Christmas,” he said.
“After some pretty gallant losses at the start of the year, the boys have come back well and are playing some good cricket so a win here would be great.”