Footscray bowler Brad Robertson was described as having a “heart like Phar Lap” after taking a five-wicket haul against Prahran on Saturday. 76326 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By Adem Saricaoglu
FOOTSCRAY-EDGEWATER will need to chase down 336 runs this Saturday to beat Prahran and stay within touch of the top eight in Premier Cricket’s first XI competition.
The Bulldogs managed to dismiss a Prahran batting line-up that featured Victorian state cricketers Chris Rogers and Bryce McGain, but it took 98 overs to do so.
Brad Robertson, who’s struggled to find his groove for most of the summer, accrued a five-wicket haul for 57 runs off 21.4 overs, eight of which were maidens.
Robertson dismissed both Prahran openers before clean-bowling Rogers for 30.
His other two wickets were the last for the innings.
Footscray coach Barry Neivandt said Robertson’s bowling effort was crucial for the Bulldogs.
“Robbo’s got a heart like Phar Lap. He’ll give you everything and never give up,” he said.
Neivandt then added it was a tough day all round for his bowling attack.
“The boys were pretty tired in the last 20 overs; they really worked their bums off. We had them at 5/50 odd and they have a batting order that probably stretches down to about nine so I thought the bowling was tremendous, particularly early.
The game drifted away from us after tea. We couldn’t get that breakthrough wicket for a while.”
Tallan Wright was also handy with the ball, taking 3/79 off 23.3 overs.
Stephen Seymour was the first Prahran batsmen to go, caught by Greg Sheehan off Robertson for 14 before Steven De Bolfo was bowled by Wright for just nine.
Rogers and Daniel Salpietro produced a handy 64-run partnership for the third wicket before Robertson broke the partnership dismissing Salpietro for 57.
Rogers was next to go and by the time Neil Schlittler was bowled by Michael Kelliher for 27, Prahran’s innings was left teetering on 5/150.
However middle-order Prahran batsmen Liam Murphy and James Wild then produced a stunning 111-run partnership for the sixth wicket that switched all momentum to Prahran. Shane Jones was finally able to break up the pair, trapping Murphy LBW one run short of his half-century.
Wild was the batsman inflicting the most damage on the scoreboard, scoring his runs in quick succession.
He was next to go, becoming Wright’s second victim, but his 87 off 107 balls had Prahran sitting comfortably on 7/286.
Wright then struck again with the wicket of Rhys Adams, however Prahran was not done making runs.
The tail wagged for another 33 runs before the Bulldogs were finally able to get their 10th wicket.
Neivandt says the game plan will be pretty simple for the run chase that will begin on Saturday at Mervyn Hughes Oval. “We’ve got to bat for 100 overs to chase that score down, and we’ll have to do it with commonsense and a stoic attitude, so if we stick to our guns I’m confident we can do it.”
