Lennox Head failed to chase down the 85 runs scored by the Ballina Bears in a rain-affected match at Fripp Oval in the Coastal League on Saturday.
The game was reduced to a 20-over fixture after lightning threatened the ground as the game was due to begin, according to Lennox Head stand-in skipper Justine Hooper.
‘When play did get underway the Lennox team was able to limit the Bears to just 86 runs, a total that seemed very achievable, until complacency and nerves crept into the Lennox run chase’, Justin said.
Ballina won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch that proved moisture affected and difficult to play on.
All the Lennox bowlers pitched in to limit the Ballina side to 6/85 but Luke Bolger was probably the pick, with 2/11 off four overs. T Dejong had 1/14 off two overs and J Coppock collected 1/16 off three overs.
‘The bowling was a really good team effort,’ Justine said.
‘We thought we would go home with an early win chasing 86, but it didn’t turn out that way. We were 8/30 after eight overs’.
Justine managed to score 25 and A McDonnell chimed in with 13 to make the only double-figure scores for the innings.
‘It was very ordinary. A lot of guys got caught going for the slog. We had one run out; the rest were caught.’
The Ballina side kept the bowling tight and both openers picked up three wickets.
‘The pressure got to us. It happens when you think it is going to be easy,’ he said.
The loss was a big blow to the Lennox side, which is chasing their second win of the season and is in danger of losing touch with the leaders.
They are now second last on the table in front of wooden spooners Mullumbimby Brunswick.
The Ballina side is in fourth position with their third win from six starts.
Terranora are comfortably in first place with a six-point lead over Tintenbar-East Ballina, plus a game in hand.
