By LIAM TWOMEY
A POOR batting performance cost Williamstown any chance of victory in its first Victorian Sub District Cricket Association hit-out of the New Year. Taking on the seventh-placed Roxburgh Park/ Broadmeadows, the Seagulls looked to have put a poor first half of the season behind them with a blistering bowling performance.
Williamstown rolled the Falcons for just 149 thanks to outstanding spells from Craig Sheedy (4/18), Cain Speakman (3/30) and Mitchell Knight 2/20.
Jedidiah Kanagasabapathy was the only batsman to get away from the Seagulls as he posted an impressive 78.
Kanagasabapathy’s innings helped Roxburgh Park/ Broadmeadows reach 149 before the Falcons were bowled out after 44.2 overs.
It may have looked like a small target on paper but it proved just the opposite for the Williamstown batting line-up.
The Seagulls found themselves in immediate trouble when Sheedy was removed for just five runs by Bryce Preston.
It wasn’t long before more breakthroughs followed, with the top order left in tatters.
Matthew Dervan (5), Nathan Bratby (0) and Brenton Hodges (1) were all back in the sheds with the score at just 4/26.
There was no coming back from the disastrous start for Williamstown as the Falcons’ bowlers took the momentum and ran with it.
Roxburgh Park/ Broadmeadows ripped through the lower order to end the Seagulls’ innings at 59 after 19.5 overs.
Grant Sandars showed some fight for Williamstown at the top of the order on his way to 16, while Nathan Hall was the only other batsman to reach double figures.
Tristan Plunkett was the pick of the bowlers with five wickets.
The result sees Williamstown on the bottom of the VSDCA ladder with just the one win for the season.
The Seagulls will look to add to that tally this week against Endeavour Hills.
In other VSDCA results, Altona went down to Oakleigh in a nail-biting clash.
Altona set Oakleigh 189 for victory and looked in control with the score at 9/170.
However, the Oakleigh tail was able to wag and reach the target in the last over of the day.
