Win keeps Little River’s finals hopes alive
LITTLE River captain-coach Casey Lang has revealed the game plan that helped his side knock off second-placed Winchelsea to keep its BPCA A2 finals hopes alive.
The Redbacks used nine different bowlers to help them secure 10 wickets and a 25-run win over the Blues on Saturday, but it was Little River’s strategy with the batting line-up on day one that gave it a winning total to defend.
“We had a plan, because it was so hot, to keep our big hitters until after tea when they tired,” Lang said of the day one tactics last week that gave his side crucial runs.
“Michael Young, Vikers (Dhingra) and Matt Richmond, we thought we’d save all our big hitters until after tea because we thought the boys would be getting tired and hopefully cash in.
“We’ve done it a couple of times, we’ve tried to save until after tea, but a couple of times too many wickets fell early and other times the big hitters didn’t pay off, they went cheaply.
“We try and be no more than three-down at tea, but I also tell the boys, ‘If the ball is there to hit, go for it’.”
At 6-93 midway through day one, it was yet to be seen whether the risky game plan would pay off, but Young and Richmond (38) put on a 75-run stand, before Dhingra joined Young for the eighth wicket to add a further 115.
Young, at No.7, finished with 105, while Dhingra at No.9 went on to score 115 not out to give Little River 361 runs to defend.
It ended up being just enough, with Winchelsea restricted to 336 on Saturday.
The win keeps Little River’s final hopes alive with matches against bottom-four teams Wallington and Ocean Grove still to come.
“A loss yesterday probably would have definitely ended (our finals hopes),” Lang said.
“Early in the season, we dropped a couple of games we probably shouldn’t have, but we’ve just got to keep winning now. If we can continue our form, I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”