By ADEM SARICAOGLU
KEILOR’S final Turf Cricket one-dayer for the summer did not quite go to plan on Saturday, going down to Yarraville Club at Robert Bruce Reserve.
The Blues had first use of the wicket after winning the toss and were ultimately punished for a poor start in the middle, only managing to post 122 before the visiting Clubbers chased it down with ease, scoring 8/177 in reply.
Keilor openers Warren Kelly and Kristian Dixon both went cheaply at the top of the order – falling victim to Yarraville Club captain-coach Emmett Bronca for a duck and three respectively.
With Hans Fernando and Mubasher Hassan at the crease, the Blues then recovered to reach 2/35 before Bronca struck again for his third and final wicket – Hassan caught behind for 13.
Shaun Guerra then added 33 with Fernando before Adam Contessa trapped him on the pads for 22 and soon after Lachlan Sneddon was run out for four.
From there the host struggled as Fernando was left to fend for himself, watching another two batting partners fall at the other end before he too was run out by Mark Williams for 47.
With Andrew Cullen in to clean up the tail, Keilor’s innings was halted with 28 balls to come.
Yarraville Club then made much better use of the wicket during its chase, getting on top of a number of Keilor bowlers.
Sneddon was the lone stand-out with the ball for the Blues, claiming rather erratic figures of 5/37 from just four overs.
Dixon (1/14), Kelly (1/14) and Roshan Laksiri (1/41) snared the remaining three wickets for Keilor on the day.
The result leaves the Blues perched on the bottom of the Senior Division table with three two-dayers to come for the remainder of the summer – beginning with this weekend’s away clash at 10th-placed Strathmore’s Syd McGain Oval.
Meanwhile in the VTCA’s North Division on Saturday, Keilor Park was a seven-run winner over Altona North at Ray Davies Reserve.
