ALTONA has won three consecutive games and is now equal top on premiership points on the Victorian Sub District Cricket North-West ladder, just behind Melton, Balwyn and Bundoora on percentage.
In a double-header weekend, the A’s successfully defended their total of 9/268 by dismissing Ivanhoe for 227 on Saturday, while in Sunday’s one-day fixture against then second-placed side Preston a hat-trick by opening bowler Simon Polidori sparked Altona to a 64-run win.
Altona controlled the tempo with the ball on Saturday, at one stage having Ivanhoe 6/105 and the result firmly in its grasp.
A’s veteran Gordon McFarlane took 3/66 off 27 overs and 17-year-old Charlie Kilpatrick snared 2/36 off 14 overs, including the prized scalp of former Victorian player Grant Gardiner.
In the Sunday one-dayer, Preston won the toss and elected to bowl on a green, seaming wicket.
Altona was in trouble at 3/21 before captain-coach David Wolfe (42 off 53 balls) and veteran Paul Stewart (44 not out off 64 balls) steadied and took Altona to 9/155 after the allotted 45 overs.
Kilpatrick was again among the wickets, picking up Preston’s first two before Polidori stole the show.
After removing Shaun Brown for 4, Polidori took a hat-trick to reduce Preston to 7/47, effectively ending the contest.
Preston scrambled a further 44 runs to end well short of the target on 91.
Polidori finished with 5/33 from nine overs in his second game back from injury, while Kilpatrick (2/26) and Nathan Pring (2/22) were the other multiple wicket takers.
With confidence high, the upcoming two-day clash with Yarraville at Grant Reserve – the last game before Christmas – takes on enormous significance with Altona among the teams jostling for ladder positions.
