GRAND United was the only Williamstown and District Cricket Association A Turf home team to score a win in round five of the competition on Saturday.
United’s bowling attack proved to be far too good for Melton Centrals in their one-day clash at Parsons Reserve, successfully defending its 9/156.
Luke Fox was the star claiming five wickets as Centrals capitulated to be bowled out for just 51 after 22 overs. In other one-day results on Saturday, Bellbridge was victorious over West Newport after reaching its target of 172 with two overs to spare and one wicket in hand.
Scott Walker top-scored with 47.
Meanwhile the Williamstown Colts were too good for Williamstown Congs, getting to their target of 127 in the 34th over.
Gellibrand was also able to snare victory on the road, defeating Melton South Primary School by exactly 100 runs on Saturday.
KEALBA Green Gully had a good weekend in the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association’s Luscombe Shield, scoring back-to-back wins in two one-day games against the Clarkefield Brumbies and Gladstone Park respectively.
Opener Andrew Lambropolous was the star on both days in what proved to be two relatively easy wins for the Cougars.
On Saturday Lambropolous was unbeaten on 64, while on Sunday against Gladstone Park he got to 67 before getting stumped.
However those two results were not good enough to clinch top spot, which is still occupied by an undefeated Pascoe Vale Central team that looks to be the Cougar’s main threat in their pursuit of a three-peat later this summer.
Meanwhile Sydenham Hillside remains fifth on the Luscombe Shield table after going down to Pascoe Vale Central on Sunday.
Having had Saturday off, the Storm couldn’t defend its 8/176 on Sunday, but did push the Luscombe Shield’s frontrunner all the way.
Pascoe Vale Central reached 6/180 with just four balls to spare with skipper Cameron Hare not out on 96.
WILLIAMSTOWN has signed former Collingwood rookie listed player Ben Richmond for the 2014 season.
Richmond was on the Magpies’ list for a year and played in 16 VFL games for the club. His rise to the ranks of the AFL took a different path to many of his team-mates with Richmond an elite basketball player through his junior sporting career. While training at the Australian Institute of Sport he was offered a contract by Collingwood and decided to turn his hand to AFL.Richmond started off playing forward for the Magpies before moving down back in the second half of the season. Seagulls football manager Chris Dixon said his club saw Richmond as an exciting development prospect.
“We received strong endorsements about Ben from a few people at Collingwood and were really impressed when we sat down with him by his attitude and desire to improve,” Dixon said.
“He got a taste of AFL last year and it’s great he wants to continue down the football path.
“He performed some really good defensive jobs last year in the second half of the year and actually played one of his better games against us in Round 16. We see him as a player who is going to keep developing and will hopefully get another chance in the AFL system in future years.”
Richmond’s signing adds to Williamstown’s developing key position players with David Fahey and Sean Tighe having already been added, along with Sam Critchley, Simon Deery and Ben Casley all re-committing for season 2014.
