By David Nagel
Motivation levels become even more critical when the summer mercury climbs its way into the high 30s.
Then throw in the fact that two-day cricket exposes gaps between teams quicker than a kettle boils, and you’re beginning to envision the situation that took place at Glover Reserve on Saturday.
A hungry and clinical second-placed Cardinia (3/117) has already locked away first-innings points against a nothing-to-play-for Devon Meadows (114).
The Panthers aren’t the first, and definitely won’t be the last, to find themselves in this situation post-Christmas.
They can’t play finals and have a too big a buffer to be relegated; so what do they really have to play for?
A couple of young guns answered that question emphatically on the weekend; saving their more-experienced teammates from an embarrassing first-innings score.
15-year-old Ethan Wood (34) and 18-year-old Zac Bates (33)…take a bow.
The pair joined forces after Lucas Ligt (8), Zac Shepherd (8) and Nathan Kleinig (4) were undone by the pace of Trishane De Silva (2/25) and Josh Brown (1/23)…who bowled much better than the one wicket next to his name might indicate.
He repeatedly beat the bat and had several edges just fall safe from fielders.
Bates walked to the crease with a presence, engaging fairly with Cardinia’s fielders, while left-handed Wood took things more quietly in his stride.
The Panthers were 3/46 off 18 at the first drinks break, but the signs were already there that both youngsters were – understandably – beginning to feel the pinch.
Bulls’ skipper Mark Cooper (3/17 off 13) could smell blood and combined with Travis Wheller (4/22 off 15.1) to bring the home side to their knees.
Bates was brave for 61 balls, with three of those deliveries belted to the boundary, before the heat got the better of his young instincts and he swiped a high-one to Cooper off the bowling of Wheller.
Ben Marsh (1) and Chris Cleef (0) then each didn’t raise a sweat; the Panthers 6/91 at the tea break after Wheller slid one past the outside edge of Wood and crashed it into his off-stump.
Mitch Kleinig (18) gave the Panthers the brief joy of reaching triple-figures, but, apart from the two youngsters, there was very little to celebrate.
Teams with premiership aspirations, such as Tooradin, Kooweerup, Clyde and Pakenham, should watch the replay of this one closely; because confronting long spells from Cooper and Wheller – with well-set fields – is a challenge that will need to be overcome.
Cooper is piecing together a very fine season indeed, capturing 21 wickets for the Bulls, while the four-wicket haul for Wheller could be the start of something big.
The off-spinner had only taken five wickets for the season prior to Saturday, but he bowled with great control and mixed up his speeds nicely.
In reply, Alex Nooy (58 off 33 balls) then continued his blistering form; moving to number-four on the run-scoring list with his third-consecutive half-century.
John Nooy (35 not out) also cashed in for the Bulls; with Matt Welsh (7 not out) securing the winning runs in the last over prior to stumps.
Motivation levels will once again be important this Saturday, with Cooper having two choices.
Use Saturday for batting practice or put the Panthers to the ‘outright’ sword.
