By ADEM SARICAOGLU
HOPPERS Crossing looks to be in peril against Yarraville Club in the Senior Division of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
The 1-1 Cats were handed the ball after losing the toss at Yarraville Club’s Walker Oval and ended up having a day they’d rather forget.
The Clubbers, who remain winless so far this season, ran riot with the bat to post a whopping 6/383 in their 80-over dig.
Brilliantly led by opening batsman Andrew Cullen (160), Aaron Mato (102) and Adam Contessa (52), Yarraville Club made a mockery of a Hoppers Crossing bowling attack that struggled to get going.
Captain-coach Darrel Brown started the day promisingly enough with the early dismissal of Jake Armistead for a duck but the Clubbers, with Cullen and Anthony Cristofaro at the crease, added 74 runs to the total for the next wicket.
However the eventual dismissal, courtesy of Travis Waring, only brought Mato to the crease, who, combined with Cullen, produced what could well prove to be a match-winning 223-run partnership.
Waring was finally able to break Hoppers Crossing’s drought when he got through the defences of Mato, but from there another 83 runs were added to Yarraville Club’s final total.
Tawalampolage Darshanapriya claimed two wickets of his own for the Cats and also took a catch to remove Cristofaro for 28.
Hoppers Crossing needs 384 for victory this Saturday.
