Footscray-Edgewater captain Travis Gloury in action for the Bulldogs. 73015 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Adem Saricaoglu
FOOTSCRAY-EDGEWATER is in trouble after setting a target of just 192 for St Kilda after day one of their two-day match at the Junction Oval on Saturday.
The Bulldogs were bowled out for 191 in 77.2 overs after losing three quick wickets in a middle order collapse sparked by the brilliant bowling of Daniel Babula, who took 5/33 for the innings.
Babula bowled Greg Sheehan for 11 before Chris Simpson was able to dismiss Dean Russ for 39.
Footscray was on 3/99 when Dylan Kight was caught by Peter Handscomb off Babula for 11, before Babula struck again trapping Travis Gloury LBW, leaving the Bulldogs at 4/113.
Benjamin Green was then dismissed for a duck, before Babula was able to trap Travis Dean, Footscray’s highest scorer, for LBW on 61, completing his stunning five-wicket haul and leaving the Bulldogs at 6/142.
Footscray coach Barry Neivandt said he was disappointed to have lost those wickets in quick succession.
“They took a few quick wickets in the middle order which was a little disappointing because we couldn’t really set ourselves up to be in a good position,” he said.
Tallan Wright and Shane Jones notched a helpful partnership worth 39 runs, but after Simpson had Jones caught by Victorian representative Rob Quiney for 26, the runs dried up.
Brad Robertson was quickly sent back for a duck before Wright got caught off the bowling of Daniel Forbes for 25.
St Kilda’s run chase was off to a horrible start when both Handscomb and Forbes were bowled by Robertson and McCammond respectively, leaving St Kilda at 2/10.
“I thought we bowled brilliantly early and McCammond in particular was quite good,” Neivandt said.
However St Kilda will resume their innings this Saturday at 2/53 with Quiney (18 n.o.) and fellow state representative Graeme Rummans (25 n.o.) expected to be at the crease.
Neivandt said his team needs to be “disciplined, hard-working and stick to the game plan” if they want to win this Saturday.
“Quiney and Rummans really stuck in there and that really set St Kilda up for next week, which was something we probably should have done ourselves.”
