LEETON has been eliminated from the prestigious SCG Cup following a complacent and ill-disciplined defeat at the hands of Wagga last Sunday at Mark Taylor Oval.
It was a a double blow, with the match also doubling-up as a Konica Cup round.
Following Leeton's heroics of the week before against Albury, the home side showed little application as it crumbled to be all out for a paltry 63 against some less-than-threatening bowling. The gamble of opening the innings with captain Mick Day failed badly as he was the first to lose patience and was caught behind for one in only the third over.
Leeton won the toss and chose to bat on a wicket that contained some early dampness, but it was not the wicket that caused all the damage.
Impatience and poor shot selection led to many downfalls. Ashley Fraser, who had shown such discipline the week earlier, soon followed his captain with a rash pull shot. Out-of-touch Nathan Schubert lasted only six balls before he played all over a straight delivery and was comprehensively bowled for a duck.
At 3-12, Leeton was in deep trouble.
Tyler Stiller (7) and Adrian Axtill (3) scrapped it out for a little while before Stiller flashed at a wide ball outside the off stump and was well caught in the slips. Axtill was next to go when he too guided a short ball to slip.
Leeton lost another wicket on 25 when Jaryd Day was caught behind for zero and after only 14 overs the score was an embarrassing 6-25.
Reece Maguire and Brendon Greatz looked as though they may mount a challenge, but first ball after a drinks break Greatz was clean bowled for six and Maguire fell also with the score on 38 for six.
When Mark Burns became the third duck of the innings, Leeton had slumped to its lowest score in decades at 9-40 and last week's joyous 114-run victory over Albury had by now become a distant memory.
Fortunately, Frank Iannelli (17no) and Garth Chambers (6) showed some fight and added 23 for the last wicket before Chambers was caught deep on the square leg boundary. Iannelli remained unbeaten and was the only Leeton batsman to reach double figures in a dismal team display.
Wagga's Ethan Bartlett (4-21), Dean Crane (2-8) and Scott Pople (2-12) were made to look like world beaters as they crashed through the paper thin batting.
With little hope of winning the match, Leeton at least fought it out to the end to have Wagga four wickets down before they lost the inevitable battle. However, Greatz was a shadow of his aggressive self from the week before as he conceded 22 runs from four overs.
Axtill bowled five overs for a respectable 1-12 and removed former Leeton player Steve Weckert (9) cheaply. Chambers came on and bowled five overs for 15 runs and got rid of Wagga captain Joel Robinson, who had scored a century against Leeton in the corresponding match last season in Wagga.
But Bartlett (31no) continued to taunt the Leeton bowling and even though Mick Day pried out two more wickets in his four overs, the task was always too onerous and the Wolves were left to ponder their worst defeat in a long long time.
There will need to be a significant improvement in attitude this Sunday when Leeton travels to Canberra for its third Konica Cup match in as many weeks against the powerful Eastlakes, or there could be another embarrassing result to endure.
Although Matt Curry will be back for the Canberra trip, Leeton will be without Maguire and Stiller, who will be on a school excursion, while Iannelli sustained a hamstring strain against Wagga that may keep him out.
Selectors met during the week to finalise the Konica Cup side, along with the Creet Cup side for Leeton's opening match with Griffith under 17s at Yanco Sportsground on Sunday.
Teams
Konica Cup against Eastlakes at Kingston Oval: 1 Mick Day (c), 2 Ashley Fraser, 3 Matt Curry, 4 Nathan Schubert, 5 Adrian Axtill, 6 Kyle Tuckett, 7 Jaryd Day, 8 Brendon Greatz, 9 Mark Shelley, 10 Garth Chambers, 11 Mark Burns, 12 Frank Iannelli (subject to fitness)
Game starts at 10.30am. Transport to leave Leeton Post Office at 6am at the latest.
Creet Cup against Griffith under 17s at Yanco Sportsground: 1 Brent Lawrence (c), 2 Gerard Stevens, 3 Isaac Henderson, 4 Todd Norton, 5 Dan Davies, 6 Nathan Carn, 7 Josh Carn, 8 Josh O'Callaghan, 9 Kieren O'Callaghan, 10 Alex Batchelor (w/k), 11 Jacob Anderson, 12 Chris Doolin
Game starts at 10.30am. Anyone unavailable contact Brent Lawrence 0439 498 860 ASAP.
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