By Luke D’Anello
FOOTSCRAY Edgewater suffered back-to-back losses as the first Twenty20 matches of the Premier Cricket season were played on the weekend.
The Dogs lost narrowly against Camberwell Magpies at Merv Hughes Oval on Saturday before going down to Ringwood on Sunday.
Speaking to Star before his side’s Sunday fixture, Footscray skipper Travis Gloury said all teams were still adjusting to the game’s shortest form, with competition points up for grabs for the first time.
“This is the first year Twenty20 has been introduced into the proper competition and we’re still trying to develop theories, the way we go about it, and processes and all that sort of stuff, so it’s a bit of a learning curve for everybody at the minute,” Gloury said.
“Certainly it’s the way cricket is going, and there is more and more Twenty20 that’s being played.”
Camberwell batted first against the Dogs in round nine and accumulated 3/162 from its 20 overs, aided by a savage 58 not out by Thomas Rickarby.
Rickarby hit half-a-dozen sixes to take any momentum away from the Dogs, after the Magpies crashed to 3/56 at one stage.
Off-spinner Shane Jones was the pick of the Dogs’ bowlers, with 2/34 from his four overs.
In reply, Footscray (7/144) fell just 18 runs short, with Gloury (50 from 43 balls, including four sixes) leading from the front. Shaun Dean made 24, while all-rounder Ben Green contributed 23.
But Rickarby was a thorn in the Dogs’ side and Gloury said his hard hitting proved the decisive blow.
“I don’t think we did a lot wrong, and there was probably one player who was the difference in the game.
“It’s Twenty20, so you’ve only got to get it slightly wrong to go the distance (over the boundary).
“There was a reasonably strong breeze coming from one end and there was also a short boundary, which made it hard to work out which bowlers to bowl from which end.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Dogs’ run-chase against Ringwood was also unsuccessful.
The Rams compiled 9/156 at Jubilee Park, as Green (3/35) and Jones (2/32) collected five wickets between them.
Footscray’s innings started poorly, with Rory Hamilton-Brown back in the dressing sheds in the opening over.
Dean and Green did their best to steady the innings, producing a 48-run partnership, but wickets fell at regular intervals as the Dogs finished 17 runs short.
Gloury remained unbeaten on 37 as Footscray registered 8/139.
The Dogs, who have dropped to seventh position on the competition ladder, will next face Casey-South Melbourne on Saturday in the final match before the Christmas break.
