KEALBA Green Gully stumbled to finish all out for 182 against Pascoe Vale Central in a battle for top spot in the NWMCA’s Luscombe Shield on Saturday.
Choosing to bat first on their home deck at Green Gully Reserve, the Cougars looked to be well on their way to a formidable score at 2/105 with captain-coach Evan Long and Balraj Randhawa combining for an 82-run partnership.
Randhawa was eventually removed for 42 before Long was dismissed for 45, leaving Kealba at 4/128.
From there no other Cougar could get beyond 17, with only another 54 runs added before the fall of the final wicket with the first ball of the last over of the day.
Kealba will defend its 182 this Saturday.
Meanwhile Sydenham Hillside is locked into a low-scoring arm wrestle with Gladstone Park at Hillside Recreation Reserve.
After both teams fell cheaply in the first innings, the Storm has Gladstone Park stranded in the second innings, which ended at 2/2 after six overs of play.
CAROLINE Springs is in a strong position to beat Williamstown Imperials in the Williamstown and District Cricket Association’s A-Grade Matting competition this Saturday.
After choosing to bat first on its home deck at Town Centre Oval, the home team got off to a good start with openers Darren Arandez (32) and Burhan Butt (14) providing 42 runs for the first drop.
At number three Jack Taylor then came in to provide another 44, while Warwick Jaensch’s unbeaten 36 from number eight also proved handy for Caroline Springs, which has set the Imps 205 for victory this weekend.
In other matches taking place in the division, Wyndham Vale needs another 90 runs for victory over Seabrook, while Melton South Primary School is in for a big day this Saturday, needing to chase down the WLSC Marshalls’ 9/251.At Blackwood Reserve, Point Cook is 1/23, chasing Melton Centrals’ 159.
AFTER several race cancellations due to Melbourne’s unseasonably wet and cold spring weather, riders finally got to the Footscray Cycling Club’s criteriums held at the V.U./FCC Sports Criterium Track in Hoppers Crossing with four sensational races to enjoy.
A-Grade’s windy race was dominated by a two-man breakaway from the start of the race, with Target Trek rider Dom Dudkiewicz taking off with French international rider Mathieu Delaroziere, the bunch just unable to bring the pair back as they built up an insurmountable lead.Melton resident Dudkiewicz rode particularly well, considering the month he has had.”This is my first crit since coming back from a bad dose of the flu,” he said.”This is the first time in weeks I’ve gone above 30 k an hour.
“I attacked from the start. Myself and the international rider (Delaroziere) broke away on the third lap and the two of us worked hard for the whole race. There was no real cat-and-mouse between us. On the last lap I got on the front and was first wheel around the last corner, I didn’t know if he could sprint and I kicked at the corner and realized I had it.”
The bunch kick for third was taken out by returning rider Stuart Grimsey.
Dudkiewicz is looking forward to a better run of luck coming into the summer action.
“I want to start building up now and hit it hard for the Bay Crits and, if the form is good enough, the nationals.”
