Central Park-St Brendan’s playing coach Tyler Larkin understands his side let the Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield slip through its fingers on Saturday.
Chasing 132 to win and cruising at 2-58 after 15 overs, the Tigers would go on to lose 7-28 in 16 overs in a disastrous batting collapse that handed Katandra a 22-run triumph.
“We had it there and we can only blame ourselves. We were two for 40 at the first drinks break and we were ahead of the game,” Larkin said post-match.
“Unfortunately we just kept losing wickets in clumps and they put a lot of pressure on. They are deserving winners, but we feel like we just bottled it in the end.”
The horror batting collapse aside, it was a somewhat strong day in the field for the Tigers.
Larkin’s charges got off to a brilliant start with the ball and kept one of the competiton’s lethal batting line-ups to 131.
Teenage star Max Hooper was not overawed by the occasion and claimed 2-24, while Ramadan Yze, Jarrod Wakeling and Dwain Vidler were all instrumental.
Opening bat Andrew Cowen was attacking and looked destined to lead the side to victory.
“We’ve got a lot of reflection to do, but if there’s any sort of silver lining it’s that we’ve been on an upwards progress since we didn’t make finals two years ago,” Larkin said.
“We made the semi last year and now we’ve made the grand final, we haven achieved what we wanted to achieve, but we’re thereabout which is really positive.
“For a 15-year-old kid (Hooper) to take their two best batters ... it’s really good signs for us as a club to have these young kids who we can put a lot of faith in and back them in to do the job.
“It’s really pleasing as a coach and a team to not rely on the senior boys all the time.”