Andrew McCammond was the pick of the Footscray bowlers on Saturday, taking 3/21. 88516_08 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT By LIAM TWOMEY
A BATTING collapse has cost Footscray Edgewater any chance of victory in its Premier Cricket clash with Prahran on Saturday.
Chasing 174 to win, the Bulldogs were never in the hunt, constantly losing wickets throughout the innings as the run rate continued to slow.
The match was officially brought to a close when tailender Brad Robertson was dismissed by Prahran’s Rhys Adams, leaving the Bulldogs stranded on 96 in the 46th over.
One-time Australian test player and former Victorian leg spinner Bryce McGain was the pick of the bowlers, taking the two important wickets of Travis Dean and Dylan Kight for two and 10 respectively.
Footscray Edgewater president Mark Sheehan said it was a disappointing start to the season.
“It was a slow wicket with a fair bit of seam in it and it would be fair to say the Prahran players adjusted to those conditions a lot better than our fellas,” he said.
“I think the top five set the pattern. We have Dean Russ our captain and Wes Robinson our main recruit who has played first class cricket for Western Australia. They are opening the batting so we are looking for something there and out of the top five.
“I think in 50 over cricket those top five batters are just essential to what will transpire. It really goes without saying.”
The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to back-to-back one day matches this weekend, when they will take on Frankston on Saturday and North Melbourne on Sunday.
Sheehan is confident his players will be able to quickly make the necessary adjustments to their form. “It is still early days yet,” he said.
“Hopefully we will get some better conditions both for training and playing and we can get up for the weekend. That will really set us up between now and Christmas. We will learn our lessons from Saturday.”
