By LIAM TWOMEY
FOOTSCRAY Edgewater is in a strong position after day one of its Premier Cricket clash with Prahran on the weekend.
After being sent in to bat by the home team, Bulldogs’ openers Dean Russ and Anthony Barton wasted no time making themselves at home in the middle.
The pair added a brilliant 170 for the first wicket with Russ blasting 70 off 102 balls while Barton fell just short of his century and was out for 91.
However, Footscray’s middle order wasn’t able to capitalise on the start as Prahran launched a fight back with the ball.
Both Russ and Barton were dismissed without a run being added to the tally and in the blink of an eye, Travis Dean, Dylan Kight and Michael Hill were also back in the pavilion.
Luckily for Footscray, Sunam Gautam was able to steady the ship with a hard-fought 52 while Guy Walker and Hamish Winter-Irving worked hard at the crease.
The Bulldogs’ innings eventually came to a close in the 84th over with the score at 308.
For Prahran, James Miller was the pick of the bowlers and finished with figures of 4/74 while Bryce McGain took 3/85.
The early finish to the innings gave Footscray two overs to bowl and the results were immediate when Jake Haberfield removed Nicholas Morrey for a duck to have Prahran reeling at 1/0.
The True Blues will resume their innings at 1/6 on Saturday.
It was a similar story for Footscray in the second XI, with the Bulldogs seemingly cruising at 5/199 on day one of their clash, also against Prahran.
But a late collapse was again on the cards, this time dismissing the club for 226.
In reply, Prahran is 0/17.
