Ross Kendall
Byron Bay has bowed out of the 2016–17 Coastal Cricket League after losing to Cudgen on the weekend, and falling just short of the top four.
In effect the game was a play off for the finals as both teams needed the win to move into fourth place on the ladder.
Cudgen won the toss and chose to bat on their home ground, Reg Dalton Oval.
They were able to post a total of 193, which was a good defensive effort from the Byron bowlers considering they had lost two to injury, captain Toby Schott said.
Caelan Malady picked up 3/40 off eight overs and Matt Irwin returned 2/30 off eight, while Joe Beckers contributed with 2/33 off six overs.
The total was definitely achievable and Byron got off to a good, confident start.
They lost opener Owen Delian at 25 in an unlucky run out, as the ball ricocheted off the batsmen before hitting the stumps.
‘That started the rot. From then on we just couldn’t get settled,’ Schott said.
Joe Beckers (18), Matt Irwin (29), Adam Clark (19) and Ryan Marriott (12) all got starts but no partnerships resulted and the side was bowled out for 126 in the 33rd over.
Byron Bay finished fifth on the ladder with 78 points, Cudgen in fourth with 81.
Narrowly missing out on the finals was ‘pretty frustrating’, Toby said.
The team did themselves no favours in the first half of the season when they lost three or four games they could have easily won.
‘It made the last part of the season harder then it needed to be, and despite a great effort the team just couldn’t get over the line’, he said.
‘After our start to the season we did well to get this close,’ he said.
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