Bendigo coach Matt Pinniger has labelled the Box Hill City Oval pitch “dangerous” and a “disgrace” after his side lost to Sale-Maffra at Melbourne Country Week on Tuesday.
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Bendigo’s fate was sealed after it was sent into bat on a wicket that Pinniger described as “sub-standard”.
“It’s an absolute disgrace. To play in this competition and have a game decided by the toss of the coin when there was no rain around is not good enough,’’ Pinniger said.
“You could stick your finger into the wicket it was that soft. The wicket was that bad at one end that Sale wasn’t allowed to bowl their quick bowlers, they had to bowl spin at that end.
“(Bendigo opening batsman) Shane Koop went forward to a ball in the first over and it popped off a good length and hit him in the head.
“There was no contemplation by the umpires to start late and then four overs into our innings the umpires came together and they were going to call it off because the wicket wasn’t safe.
“The game went on and we were never going to win from that position. Playing in the top division you expect to get the best facilities and this wicket was dangerous and sub-standard.
“This is a great competition, but when clubs don’t buy into it and don’t prepare wickets properly it makes a mockery of the competition.”
A division two game was called off on Monday after 10 overs because the wicket wasn’t safe.
Bendigo was 1-19 off 14 overs and 4-33 off 20 overs before fighting back to finish with 136, thanks largely to 39 from Ben DeAraugo.
“Realistically, we did well to get that many in the end,’’ Pinniger said.
“The sun and the wind dried the pitch out and the wicket became flat in the second half of the day.
“Sale-Maffra’s batsmen just took us on from the start and got away with it. We tried everything we could with the ball, but when you’re only defending 136 it’s pretty tough.”
Sale-Maffra made 253 off 52.5 overs, with Zen Malik taking 4-61, Nathan Fitzpatrick 2-30 and Sam Sperling 2-38.
The loss leaves Bendigo in a fight to avoid relegation. Bendigo and Traralgon are the only winless teams heading into round three.
Bendigo plays the undefeated Mornington at Princes Park on Wednesday and Bairnsdale (1-1) at Walter Galt Reserve on Thursday.
In round two results, Mornington (8-215) proved too strong for Warrnambool (146), Geelong (7-229) retained top spot after beating Bairnsdale (81) and Ballarat (5-268) disposed of Traralgon (9-199).
Round 3 draw – Bendigo v Mornington at Princes Park, Geelong v Sale-Maffra at Noble Park, Warrnambool v Traralgon at Brunswick, Bairnsdale v Ballarat at Northcote.
