WYNDHAMVALE got its WDCA A1 Turf campaign off to the perfect start with a three-wicket win over Melton South Primary School at St Paul’s College on Saturday.
The visitors won the toss and sent Melton South into the middle before dismissing them cheaply for 91 in 26 overs.
Trent Lawford was excellent with the ball for Wyndhamvale in claiming 4/19, while Jake Styles and Adam Moscatiello chimed in with two of their own.
With a modest target to chase down Wyndhamvale took its time and slowly knocked it over, eventually reaching the mark at the end of the 39th over for the loss of seven wickets.
Keeper-batsman Joel Roze top-scored for Wyndhamvale with 25, while Chris Morrow and Jay Dolliver were the only other batsmen to reach double figures, scoring 14 and 12 respectively.
Roze and Dolliver produced a second-wicket stand of 39 to help set up the win.
WHILE rain affected a number of matches throughout the West on Saturday, it was a cracking day for Sunshine United in the Williamstown and District Cricket Association’s Composite Grade.
After losing the toss and being forced to bowl against Gellibrand, the Sunshine bowlers wasted no time finding the right lines and lengths as the wickets started to tumble.
Gellibrand was 9/122 at the conclusion of its 40 overs, with an impressive 32 for number seven Wayne Allen being the highlight throughout the card.
The total looked thin on paper and that is precisely how the match played out with the Sunshine batsmen having a field day out in the middle.
Kawaljit Singh top scored with 56 not out while captain Dom Gregorio also brought up his half century as Sunshine stormed to the win in the 33rd over.
Cooper Johnstone was the pick of the bowlers for Gellibrand, taking 1/14 from five overs.
Sunshine will look to make it back-to-back wins against Grand United this week while Gellibrand will take on Tarneit.
LAVERTON had a convincing win in the C-composite competition when it comfortably dismissed Melton Centrals for 114 to win by 51 runs at Melton South Recreation Reserve.
The Magpies were clinical after winning the toss and choosing to bat, losing only seven wickets in the full 40 overs to set the Centrals 166 for victory.
Todd Hooper was impressive with the ball for the Centrals in claiming 4/22 from his 10 overs, while Andrew Zenonos, Daniel Sulics and David McDonald all chipped in with single wickets of their own.
Centrals openers Daniel Vasjuta and Matthew Goatley couldn’t produce their heroics from the week before, with Vasjuta going for a duck and Goatley bowled for 24.
Captain Adrian Kendall (23) and Jake Charge (25) were the only other Centrals batsmen to make a contribution as they crumbled through the middle and lower order to be dismissed for 114 in 34 overs.
TURF cricket competitions throughout the western suburbs are still waiting to see who is going to take the first five wicket haul and hit the first hundred for the new season after Melbourne’s wild weather again prevented any play on Saturday.
In the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association, the matches between Williamstown and Altona, Melton and Roxburgh Park/ Broadmeadows, Sunshine and Werribee and Yarraville and Moorabbin had all been shortened to one-day games but even that wasn’t enough to get any play in.
With the wild weather predicted throughout the week, the Victorian Turf Cricket Association cancelled its matches before the weekend leaving Keilor, Spotswood, Yarraville Club and Hoppers Crossing with back-to-back weekends off.
Players and supporters will be hoping for better weather this weekend to finally launch their respective seasons.
