Hoppers Crossing was struggling to manufacture runs even before encountering unfavourable batting conditions on day one against Brighton District in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division on Saturday.
The Warriors’ small total of 118 reflected the rough hand they were dealt.
The home side faces an uphill task to get back into contention for first innings points when play resumes at Hogans Road Reserve.
Warriors playing assistant coach Will Gardner attributed his side’s puny score to tough conditions and smart Brighton bowling.
“The wicket didn’t play as well as we would’ve hoped,” he said. “All the way up until tea, the ball moved around a bit.”
Gardner was one of only a few Warriors batsmen able to handle the conditions. He made a season-high 46 in a welcome return to form.
Sanka Abeyruwan and Luke Goegan were also part of the middle order revival with scores in the 20s.
Gardner was pleased to get some cherries on his bat in what has been an otherwise interrupted opening two months of the season.
“We’ve only had three hits this season, so it’s been tough to get some form going,” he said.
The Warriors didn’t have the same luxuries afforded to the Brighton bowlers.
By the time it was their turn to bowl, the deck had flattened out considerably, offering only a portion of the movement seen earlier in the day.
One bowler who extracted a heap of sideways action was Dinesh Daminda, who snared three late wickets to have Brighton 3-80 at stumps.
But with just 39 runs to get and seven wickets in hand, winless Brighton will be odds-on favourite to claim the first innings points.
