By Nick Creely
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll Cricket Club stalwart Sean Somers endured so many tough losses that he almost forgot just how special that winning feeling is immediately after a game.
That’s what makes the Marygoons’ drought breaking First XI victory over Tooradin on Saturday all the more extraordinary and so meaningful for all involved out of Spencer Street.
The Marygoons entered Saturday’s clash with 33 straight losses next to their name, with the club’s last First XI win being in Round 9 of the 2014/15 season against Officer.
Somers – who has been a consistent, loyal warrior for his club over a long, tumultuous period – said there were certainly some celebrations over the weekend.
“Yeah, it was pretty good – it’s a feeling that took so long to finally come back around, and when it happened, it was a really, really good feeling,” he explained.
“I played in 32 of those losses, but Branny (Nick Bransgrove), who is currently in England, played in all 33 of those games.
“We definitely celebrated – when we won the game, we had Branny on FaceTime in the UK watching, and he was with us which was pretty cool.
“We did the books and had a couple of beers and just celebrated it – it was a good feeling and hopefully there’s more to come.”
A reinvigorated culture – stemming from the recruitment of Kyle Dorman as captain/coach from Korumburra and a dedication to training standards – has turned the club around according to Somers.
“I think the new guys that have come in, like Kyle (Dorman), and all these new guys have a really good gel – I believe we’ll be strong, we’ve put together some really good cattle this year that will allow us to win more games too,” he said.
“We’ve changed the mentality of the club, and it’s now become more of a winning culture – we had 38 players at training last week and had no problems picking four sides so I think Nar Nar Goon’s turned the corner, and everyone’s feeling it.”
With the Gulls looking in strong shape after at one point being 3/106 on Saturday in the first innings, Somers explained how they changed the flow of the game, and turned their fortunes into a match-winning run chase, inspired by a terrific 42 by new recruit Scott Hayes.
“I think we turned it around when we were bowling and they were in a good position after about 20 or 30 overs, and then from 30 to 40 overs they put on about 40 runs and we just pegged it back – they didn’t do a lot of heavy scoring so we thought we were right in the game at tea,” he said.
“We lost a couple of wickets early, but the ship was steadied by a few new blokes and they put in a really good partnership – it seemed like we were right in it then, and we did it.”
As for the rest of the season, Somers refuses to put a ceiling on what his club can achieve in 2017/18 after a foreign, winning start to the season.
“We will take it as it comes from now – we’ve got good players, good people, and some good depth now – because we get along so well, anything is possible,” he said.
