Master stroke … John Varchione was a shining light for Altona in his side’s Twenty20 loss to Werribee last week. 28382 Picture: TIM DOUTRE
By Michael Esposito
ALTONA fell seven runs short of Werribee in Round 2 of the sub-district cricket’s Legends and Heroes twilight Twenty20 series on Tuesday.
Footscray Edgewater’s Shaun Dean, and ex-Werribee junior, starred with 64 runs to help take Werribee’s total to a competitive 3/147, while Altona were stuck at 8/140 after its 20 overs.
Altona captain John Varchione did all he could to chase down Werribee’s total with an unbeaten 56, but didn’t have the required support to get his team over the line.
“It’s disappointing from our end. We really come to play to be quite honest and we probably chasing more runs than we should have been, and that’s probably what cost us in the end,” Varchione said.
“We didn’t field with any intensity. I know it’s a tough thing to come straight after work for some blokes but when you’ve been picked you’re expected to lift for the team. I wasn’t really happy with the performance.”
Varchione said Altona lacked many of the qualities it displayed in when it ended Oakleigh’s 25-game home-and-away winning streak in VSDCA’s regular competition.
Werribee’s coach Travis Bean was delighted with his side’s performance, particularly that of Matthew Palmer, who claimed a hat-trick just when his side needed wickets.
Palmer dismissed the dangerous Lee Elmore on 20, before clean bowling Joshua Young for a golden duck and capturing Josh Shiell (2) LBW.
Stephen Plumridge got two wickets, while Peter Moore claimed Christian Hewett’s scalp.
Two late run-outs proved critical to arresting Altona’s run rate towards the end of the innings.
But Bean never thought Werribee had the game sewn up as long as Varchione was at the crease.
“Whilst he was there for the whole innings, you never really felt that the game was safe. You just felt that if he had one big over, it would pull it back,” Bean said.
But Bean said his bowlers were disciplined enough to not allow a blow-out over.
“Our bowlers bowled straight and outside off stump in the correct spots, and it made it hard for Altona to score.”
In other results, Sunshine couldn’t fire a shot against Melton, and was all out for 59 before Melton cruised to victory with seven wickets in hand.
Yarraville (3/169) defeated Kew (9/152), Broadmeadows (1/90) defeated Williamstown (10/88), Ivanhoe (8/120) defeated Coburg (87), Balwyn (6/132) defeated Preston (9/119) and Brunswick (9/107) defeated Plenty Valley (102).
