Close call … Hoppers Crossing’s Darryl Carrington attempts a sweep. 59137 Picture: EMILY LANE
By Dejan Kalinic
HOPPERS Crossing salvaged a competitive total after a shocking start to its vital North Division clash against Keilor Park in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association.
The first-placed visitors were sent in to bat and lost their sixth wicket after the first drinks break, but patient batting from Michael Tubb, who was involved in two crucial partnerships, got the total to a competitive 186.
Keilor Park is confident of a successful run chase and survived six overs before the close of play to be 0/13.
Captain-coach Andrew Murden said he was satisfied with the bowling effort and happy with the spread of wicket takers.
“We set ourselves the plan to bowl at the stumps, make them play every ball and keep them honest,” he said.
“We’ve probably fallen into the trap a little bit of late of bowling too far outside off stump.”
Joe Carland (3/38) was rewarded for a persistent spell, while Steve Maitland (2/21) and Adam Price (2/31) also got solid returns.
Hoppers Crossing captain-coach Trent Said was very happy with the way his team recovered after an uncharacteristically poor start.
“The thing I was most happy about was that where we’ve been in a tough situation we have been able to get ourselves into a position where we can still win the game,” he said.
“To have a bad start like that, but then go on and get a score that gives us a chance was the most pleasing thing.”
He praised number three batsman Tubb, who anchored the innings and survived a number of difficult periods as wickets fell around him.
“He played really well,” the coach said. “When it was required he put his head down and gutsed it out while it was tough and got us to a score that potentially we can get a winning result from.”
Both leaders pinpointed the first 20 overs of the second day’s play as potentially match-defining.
Murden and Stuart Thomson are both unbeaten on six and the captain-coach said day two was an important challenge his third-placed team needed to meet.
“This is an important game for our club,” Murden said. “We drop this game we could probably fall down to fifth or sixth but a win would give us a bit of breathing space and confidence if we can knock off the top team so it’s a big day for us.”
ELSEWHERE, second-placed Altona North made a strong start, bowling Westmeadows out for 89 before reaching 4/95 at the close of play.
Strathmore was bowled out for 134 and failed to make a breakthrough in three overs before stumps at Sunshine Druids.
Sitting just outside the top four, Sunshine United skittled bottom-placed Werribee Centrals for 49 with Vijay Jassi cleaning up the tail to take 4/2.
Opener Daniel Pace struck 76 as United reached 4/123 at the end of day one.
Doutta Stars romped to 7/346 from 80 overs at Moonee Valley, on the back of 88 from opener Lega Siaka and 77 from captain Ben Tankard.
