VTCA Senior Division battlers Spotswood will need to make 252 runs this Saturday to secure just its third win of the summer.
The Woodsmen sent home team Bentleigh in to bat despite the ideal batting conditions but couldn’t make the most of a good start to the day.
Two early wickets had Bentleigh stranded on 2/13 before Stephen Lucas was removed for 19 to leave his side at 3/34.
However a strong 78-run partnership between Adam Ryan and James Robertson resurrected Bentleigh’s innings, as they went on to make 42 and 60 respectively.
Despite Matt Leddin taking four wickets with two each going to Andrew Dickinson and Tom Johnstone, the Woodsmen couldn’t finish off the Bentleigh line-up, as the home team declared at 9/257 with three overs to spare.
Spotswood faced those three overs late in the day and will go into this weekend at 0/6 with Abhijeet Sharma on two and David Buysen yet to score.
ALTONA North enjoyed a successful day at home to Keilor Park on Saturday in the VTCA North Division.
Keilor Park’s decision to bat first proved disastrous after they were dismissed for a shocking 99 in just 42 overs.
No batsman made anything beyond 17 as the Altona North attack ripped through the order to all but ensure an almost certain victory before even taking up the crease.
They faced 38 overs in the second half of the day’s play and for the loss of just two wickets have already secured first innings points, finishing on 2/126.
Adam Price and Joe Carland have been Keilor Park’s only wicket takers so far.
Altona North will resume the crease this Saturday chasing their first outright win of the summer.
However if even successful in doing so, they cannot leapfrog second-placed Strathmore, who also look set for an outright win over Williamstown CYMS.
