By Adrian Ceddia
FIRST-gamer Gary Hancock was the unlikely hero of Altona’s incredible revival against Williamstown on Saturday.
Playing his first match for two years, Hancock took five wickets on day two to almost single-handedly turn the match on its head after Williamstown looked headed for a certain win.
Altona won the match by 50 runs and moved level with Williamstown on three wins for the season ahead of two crucial fixtures before the Christmas break.
The A’s batsmen featured prominently on the first day, led by a dashing 95 from Ben Collins, 48 from Gordon MacFarlane and 41 from Luke Graves.
Cain Speakman (four wickets) and Craig Sheedy (three) did their best to stifle the effect of the batsmen, but Altona posted a sizeable 242 runs.
Williamstown slumped to 3/48 on the second day, before a quick-fire 121-run partnership between Sheedy and Cameron Smith threatened to decide the outcome of the match.
The pair took the score to 169 before Matthew Boglis struck for the wicket of Smith for 44.
Hancock snared Sheedy’s wicket five runs later, before a dramatic late order collapse gifted Altona the six points.
Williamstown’s last seven wickets fell for just 23 runs, four of which belonged to Hancock and two to MacFarlane.
It finished an entertaining day all out for 192.
In other games completed on Saturday, Werribee’s David Buchanan took the amazing figures of 7/39 to deny Sunshine its first win of the season.
Defending a shaky total of 149 after the first day, Buchanan led the Werribee bowlers to dismiss Sunshine for 137 runs for a thrilling 12-run win.
The result kept Werribee equal with Altona and Williamstown on the ladder, in a group of six teams behind competition leaders Melton and Caulfield.
It was heartbreak for Yarraville on Saturday, ending a gallant run chase four runs short of Moorabbin’s first innings score of 260.
Gary Hughes batted beautifully for his 96 on the second day, remaining unbeaten as his side was bowled out for 256.
