By Tyler Lewis
It came down to the second last ball at AH Butler Oval on Saturday as Frankston-Peninsula suffered another agonising defeat.
The Heat was in a terrific position at the innings break with 4/222 on the board.
The large total was carved by the future of the club, with Nick Taranto – in just his fourth game -carrying his bat for the entire innings for 93 not out and Ryan Hammel blazing 68.
Taranto has now made two half-centuries in his first four innings after starting the season in the Third XI.
The noodling opener was crucial in setting the platform for the Heat and will undisputedly excite the club for the return of red-ball cricket next summer.
Hammel, meanwhile, showed his class and nonchalant power in his second half-century off the season.
His 68 from 86 deliveries had all the shots, but none better than his brace of maximums from either end of the ground.
While his second six was comfortably larger, the first was certainly the pick of the pair.
The first was a crunched cover drive that hardly left the ground, but at the same time never looked like being anything less than maximum runs.
The pair’s 128 stand set the Heat up perfectly for some carnage at the back end of the innings.
While the wicket had a darkish tinge to it, and some evident cracks on a good length and either end, it was clear it was an easy wicket to get set on, as Ringwood – like Frankston-Peninsula – survived the new ball unscathed.
The Rams top three all made 45 or more, with Arjun Dhull matching Hammel’s 68 in a match-winning knock.
The visitors were in the box seat ahead of the final over, as Dhull struck the first and last ball of the previous over to and over the boundary.
The Rams needed just three runs in the final over and did so with some difficulty, as Brodie Symons bowled tremendously at the death.
While the Heat have had two disappointing defeats in the final weeks, they will take earnest satisfaction in knowing the top four that made 209 of the 222 runs are all under the age of 25.
VPC LADDER
TEAM W L Pts %
St Kilda 11 1 62 1.043
Carlton 10 1 59 1.05
Melbourne 9 2 52 0.633
Richmond 8 4 46 0.577
Casey-South Melbourne 7 5 43 0.605
Footscray 7 4 42 0.014
Northcote 7 5 40 0.548
Essendon 6 6 34 -0.385
Geelong 6 6 33 0.039
Melbourne University 5 6 32 0.092
Prahran 5 7 29 -0.057
Ringwood 5 7 29 -0.344
Fitzroy Doncaster 5 7 27 -0.315
Frankston Peninsula 4 8 24 -0.149
Dandenong 4 8 24 -0.541
Greenvale Kangaroos 3 9 18 -0.921
Kingston Hawthorn 2 10 13 -0.728
Camberwell Magpies 2 10 12 -1.101
