mmg.com.au

Mooroopna all-rounder Paul Marshall’s and Tatura captain Daniel Coombs’ late rally was not enough for Cricket Shepparton to avoid a second straight Melbourne Country Week loss yesterday.

The heartbreaking eight-run defeat to Central Gippsland in their division four clash followed Shepparton’s three-wicket loss at Warragul’s hands on the opening day.

Shepparton coach James Stokes said ‘‘a few little errors’’ with the bat cost his side its first win of the competition.

‘‘We’ve got the bye tomorrow, so we’ll get points out of that, and then we’ve got to win on Thursday and see what the other sides do... it might square up,’’ Stokes said.

‘‘We’ve got to regroup. They’re disappointed, which is good, and they know they made some errors and I’m hoping they can learn from it.

‘‘They’ve performed better than this time last year and I’m happy to say they can still hold their head high ... but their decision-making under pressure is not what it should be and that’s the learning curve.’’

Shepparton was largely in control throughout both innings, from the time three Chris McCallum wickets restricted Central Gippsland to 3-18 amid some sharp Dwain Vidler bowling.

Central Gippsland seemed set to limp to the finish when it was 7-127 through 40 overs, but added a further 73 runs in drizzling rain to set Shepparton 201 to win.

Stokes said the rain made it difficult for his bowlers and fielders to grip the ball and estimated Central Gippsland made 40 more runs than it would have in dry weather.

Shepparton began steadily enough.

Brayden Tracey (47) and Joe Fowler (27) steered their side to 1-49 before Brendan Scott replaced Fowler as Shepparton ticked over to 2-82.

That is when disaster struck, with Shepparton losing 3-2 — some poor shots playing a part — and, like the Warragul match, had to rebuild again.

The run-rate rose beyond a run-a-ball, which Marshall (43 off 50) and Coombs (26 off 22) achieved in a 37-run eighth-wicket stand that took Shepparton within 15 runs of victory.

But Marshall and Coombs were out within six runs of one another, the latter on the first ball of the 50th over as he attempted a second run.

Shepparton has the bye today before locking horns with Albury-Wodonga tomorrow.