POINT Cook has made a seamless transition to life in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association west B1.
The Warriors are bona fide premiership contenders in their first summer at the level.
Warriors president Joe Polzella said his club had benefited from the experience and leadership of new player-coach Travis Bean and playing assistant Aaron Whear.
Bean was a former captain of sub-district club Werribee and Whear played in the same league at Preston.
The pair have combined to provide the Warriors with the guidance it needed to make the step up in grade.
“They brought structure and professionalism to the group,” Polzella said.
The Warriors kept up the pressure on ladder leader Werribee Centrals with a hard-fought 20-run win over finals contender Sunshine YCW at Kinder Smith Reserve on Saturday.
There is just five points separating the top two, who will meet in the final round next month in what could determine the minor premier.
Polzella is not looking too far beyond Saturday’s tasty bout with third-placed St Andrews at Saltwater Reserve. It will be the Warriors’ first game at home and what a treat it will be for the locals.
“So far, so good, but it’s one week at a time for us,” Polzella said.
“It’s a long season and every week we look forward to the next week.”
The Warriors eclipsing of YCW was its fifth win from seven rounds. They restricted YCW to 147 with Raj Sandhu claiming 3-21 and two wickets apiece to Whear, Phil Pullar and Joe Farmer.
Farmer, with 2-25 off eight, was the pick of the bowlers. “He bowled eight straight overs and was very tight,” Polzella said. “He took a wicket, caught and bowled, off his first ball and tightened it up after that.”
The Warriors reached the target comfortably six down, with Stephen Luedi (37), David Hicks (30 not out) and Pullar (29) leading the way.
