Heath Pritchard is like a fine wine that just gets better with age. The veteran all-rounder has delivered in spades since crossing to Werribee at the start of last season.
The top form of last summer looks set to continue after his starring role in the Tigers’ (7-287) season-opening 34-run win over Kew (253) in Saturday’s Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association match at Victoria Park.
With 5-56 off 21 overs, Pritchard was instrumental in ensuring his side claimed the points on a difficult day two. His work with the ball backed up his 66 not out which, with a century from Matt Dean, set up the impressive victory.
When Tigers captain Shaun Dean needed a partnership breaker with the ball on day two, he only had to turn to Pritchard.
“I used him at different periods of the day,” Dean said. “He got a wicket in the first over of the game and then I brought him back on just before tea and he got the other opener.
“Then he came back again later in the day to get wickets in the middle and lower order.”
This was a catalogue-worthy victory for Werribee. The Tigers were decimated by unavailability and managed to get up in stirring fashion.
“There was something like 15 players unavailable across the whole club for the first round, and it was more the guys at the top end, so it was a bit of a juggling act,” Dean said.
“It shows we have a lot of depth to be able to win a game like that in the first XI and to also romp it home in the second XI was pretty good.”
With absences came opportunities. Young off-spinner Tom Duxson grabbed his chance with both hands, finishing with the tidy figure of 0-38 off 16 overs, including seven maidens.
“He’s only 16 and played most of last season in the thirds,” Dean said.
“He’s a quality junior cricketer, a good batsman, but he was in the side for his bowling because we needed an extra spin option.
“He really put the brakes on them and made it difficult to score from the 20th over right through to tea.
“It’s a great experience for him to be able to perform under that sort of pressure.”
Adam Alifraco worked on his spin bowling over the winter to be more effective in the two-day format.
He offered the variety asked for by his captain en route to 2-48 off 11.
“He’s changing his game a little bit with the way he bowls,” Dean said.
“He’s known to bowl a lot of darters and in two-day cricket that’s no good to us.
“We’ve been working with him in the off- season to change his pace up.”
The Tigers will welcome back the top-shelf Tim O’Brien, Jonathan Burton and James Freeman for their two-day clash with Yarraville at the Yarraville Oval starting on Saturday.
