By ADEM SARICAOGLU
A CRAIG Sheedy-Matthew Inness partnership worth 81 runs has put Melton on the back foot against Williamstown in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
The Lions were handed the ball after losing the toss on their home deck at MacPherson Park and for the most part of the full 80 overs bowled in the warm October conditions, wickets proved very hard to come by.
However, back-to-back LBWs for Brad Jones looked to shake things up in Williamstown’s middle order, leaving them stuck on 5/97.
But with Williamstown skipper Sheedy still at the crease and now partnered up with all-rounder Matthew Inness, the visitors wrested back control.
Inness reached 42 before finally falling victim to Jones, but nothing could be done about the opposing skipper, as Sheedy lasted through to the end of the innings just a single run shy of a ton.
Melton all-rounder Jeremy Liddy said he and his team-mates were left to rue missed opportunities throughout the day’s play.
“It was slightly disappointing. Willy batted really well and Sheedy dictated the terms,” Liddy said.
“We bowled pretty well but in the field we dropped six catches, so that really took momentum away from us at stages.
“And with Sheedy batting through the innings, they had a really good platform for other guys to bat around him.”
Jones, who ended up with figures of 4/29 for the day, was the only Melton bowler to snare multiple wickets, but it was the Sheedy-Inness combination that stole the show.
“Inness came in at number seven, so we thought obviously if we get through him then we’ve got the lower-order guys, but he stuck around for a long time,” Liddy said.
“As the afternoon wore on – and it was a reasonably hot day – our heads dropped more than what they should’ve and they were able to capitalise on that.
“In the last 15 or 20 overs they made us pay for dropping a few catches earlier in the day.”
Williamstown finished the day at 7/207, but Liddy is confident his side can chase down the required 208 runs needed for victory this weekend.
“In any game we go into we certainly back ourselves to win, but we’re going to have to bat 75 to 80 overs next week to get the job done,” Liddy said.
“It’s going to be a long afternoon at the crease, so we’ve got to make sure two guys in the top five get 70 or 80 like Sheedy did yesterday.
“It’s going to be a war of attrition.”
