WERRIBEE has taken a share of top spot with Melton and Caulfield in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
The Tigers moved level on 45 points after a comprehensive 137-run win against Roxburgh Park-Broadmeadows at Chirnside Park on Saturday.
Tigers captain Shaun Dean said the race for the minor premiership was wide open.
“You’ve just got to keep winning,” he said. “It’s as open a race as I’ve seen for a long time.
“Any of the top six on their day can beat anyone.”
The Tigers are by no means counting their chickens. They still have nit-picky flaws in their game and a tough run home.
“We’ve got a month on the road. That’s always going to be difficult no matter who you play,” Dean said. The Tigers came as close as they have come to a complete performance.
They posted a huge 7-341 on day one and backed it up by having the Falcons out for 204 on Saturday.
Dean admitted it was a harder day at the office than it appeared in ink.
“It was a bit of a toil all day,” he said. “We didn’t bowl them out till 5.15pm, so it was hard work.
“The wicket was ridiculously flat and there wasn’t much in it all day.”
Dean’s heart rate went up around the tea break.
Mitchell Streiff, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman for the Falcons, was dropped when he’d made two.
He went on to make 36 and feature in a 64-run stand with Lester Herathge (56).
“Once those dropped catches went down, you could feel the energy drop and the enthusiasm dropped a bit, which is a bit of a trend in our game,” Dean lamented.
“If that happens in finals, we’ll be chasing 450. We’ll have to keep working on that.”
Jake Purton, Jonathan Burton and Matthew Dean picked up two wickets apiece for the Tigers, who have a difficult road trip to Moorabbin for a two-day game starting on Saturday.
VSDCA SCORES
Firsts: Werribee 7-341 d Roxburgh Park/Broadmeadows 204
Seconds: Roxburgh Park/Broadmeadows 9-205 d Werribee 105 and 2-169 (Houghton 66)
Thirds: Werribee 6-191 (Gage 65no) d Roxburgh Park/Broadmeadows 101 and 63 (Buchanan 5-27)
Fourths: Werribee 142 and 2-91 d Roxburgh Park/Broadmeadows 141 and 90
