Coach's Corner: Exceptionally proud
Tue, 2 March 2010
Well done to Tasmania, this summer's Ford Ranger Cup champions. They are a well-organised, skilful one-day team and they outplayed us on Sunday night. They had their best game of the year while we had one of our worst. It's fair to say that with four players on Australian duty and four sidelined with injury, it was always going to be a huge challenge for us. The Tigers were without Geeves and Hilfenhaus but covered them well and outpointed us in most areas. Our boys looked a little battle-weary and didn't give the best account of themselves. It showed how tough it is right now without some of our frontliners. While we've been delighted to play in finals and the Champions League, it's meant our player resources have been stretched like never before. We have played everyone we can, plus four of our rookies - which amounts to 27 players over the season! This has really tested our depth but you can't help but be pleased with the way guys like Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Matthew Wade and James Pattinson have taken increased opportunities, not to mention the debuts in at least one form of the game of four or five others. Larger elite squads could well be part of cricket's immediate future as administrators continue to invest in their playing groups with an eye on all three levels of the game. Despite the loss, I'm exceptionally proud of our playing group. They showed plenty of spirit, tenacity, and skill in emerging from two or three sudden death games to host the final. They also have enormous pride. While it wasn't an even contest on Sunday night, you could just tell by the way our boys were in the rooms afterwards how much they were hurting. We knew everything had to go right for us and at 10 an over needed in the last 15 and with wickets in hand, we'd given ourselves an outside chance before Matthew Wade's run out. Our early fumbles in the field and a missed run out opportunity cost us big-time. A score of 275 was close to par and they got 300-plus, and runs on the board in finals are always crucial. We are proud to have made another final. Now our total focus is getting more points in Perth and at home against Tassie to hopefully shore up a home Sheffield Shield final. We almost got there in Brisbane but for a half-century last wicket stand. Now it is a test of our mental fibre and skill to come back, score heavily and give our bowlers something to work with this match. We are looking to play our best game from Wednesday and repeat our outright win over the West Australian lads. We welcome back David Hussey after his Australian Twenty20 commitments. He takes over the captaincy from Andrew McDonald who has done a sterling job in recent weeks. Rob Quiney is also in the mix again after missing the last matches with injury. Bryce McGain is also with us, with Jon Holland being injured at club level on the weekend. We hope Jon will be okay for the last round against the Tasmanians back at the MCG, or at the very least, be available for the final. Bryce played the first five games and is nice and match hardened after recent one-dayers. Having other experienced people around like Bucky, Nick Jewell and Damien Wright helps our group. The boys have lifted to almost every challenge this year and we hope that Sunday's loss is just an aberration and we can play with our old zest and purpose from Wednesday. We have taken points away from seven of our first eight Shield games so far. We'd love to make it eight out of nine in Perth.
Greg Shipperd
