Opener Dean Russ made 27 for Footscray Edgewater. 77661 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By MICHAEL ESPOSITO
A DYLAN Kight century and a man-of-the-match performance by Shane Jones guided Footscray Edgewater to a comfortable victory against Northcote on Saturday.
The Bulldogs posted the highest score of the round with 9/341, and dismissed Northcote for 132 in the two-dayer.
Despite the victory, Footscray Edgewater will not participate in finals this season. Even an outright victory against the lowly Melbourne University in the final round this and next weekend will see the Bulldogs finish marginally out of the top eight.
Kight’s 122 was his third century of the season and took his first XI average up to 47.38. He is 11th on the Premier Cricket first XI run-scorers table and has been selected in Victoria’s Futures League side twice this year.
Jones hit a career-high 84 and took four wickets, including the important scalp of Ben Peake (48).
Footscray Edgewater was 5/100 and heading towards no more than an average total before the 143-run Kight-Jones partnership put the Bulldogs in the box seat.
Michael Kelly (39 not out) and Andrew McCammond (13 not out) kept the Bulldogs’ tail wagging,
In searing heat, Footscray Edgewater bowled with remarkable discipline. McCammond took two wickets while Hamish Winter-Irving, Tallan Wright and James Freeman took a wicket each.
Northcote was never really in the match with opener Marcus Stoinis caught LBW by McCammond for a duck and partner Steven Taylor gone for nine.
Footscray Edgewater’s second XI also defeated Northcote, and is well entrenched in the top eight.
In fact, the third-placed Bulldogs could still mathematically finish the season in top spot.
Nick Oldridge top-scored in Footscray Edgewater’s first innings with 58, and made 36 in his second innings.
Oldridge has had an impressive season, averaging 42.54 for the second XI, and averaging 21.67 in his three games in the firsts.
After posting a 108-run lead in the first innings, the Bulldogs seemed a chance for an outright win, but a century from Mitch Johnson guided Northcote to 6/235 before the home team declared and attempted to bowl Footscray Edgewater out for less than 127 in just 13 overs.
Time ran out for both teams but the Bulldogs did everything they could to blast their way to victory, finishing the match at 7/110.
