THE indefatigable Tim O’Brien has carved out his own slice of Werribee history in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
The Tigers star second-drop batsman broke the club record for most runs with 183 not out against Moorabbin on day one of a two-day clash at the Moorleigh Community Village on Saturday.
All that stopped O’Brien from becoming the first Tiger to reach a double century was the compulsory closure at 80 overs.
Tigers captain Shaun Dean was impressed by the concentration and level-headedness of O’Brien throughout his record-setting innings.
“It was just a calculated innings,” he told the Weekly.
“He didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He batted exactly the same as he did for the whole innings.
“He picked his spots, worked the angles, ran pretty well between wickets and was just smart about the way he went about it.”
You have to feel for Matthew Dean, the anchor of the innings.
He made a crucial 88 that would have his name up in lights on most other weeks.
The former Geelong player was pivotal to the Tigers’ imposing total of 8-330, but he naturally played second fiddle to the man at the other end, who did what no other Tiger could do before him.
But O’Brien could not have achieved the feat without partner-in-crime Dean, who supported the hot hand in a 189-run second wicket partnership.
“He is always in there to bat most of the overs, get off strike and hit the odd boundary,” Shaun Dean said of his brother. “That helps the stroke maker at the other end.
“That’s what he’s always done throughout his batting career.”
It was a great coin toss for the Tigers to win.
Conditions were favourable for batting and Dean had no hesitation in facing up first.
After a shaky start, which saw opener David Wolfe run out for nine and Dean caught on the same score, it would turn into the Matthew Dean-O’Brien show.
“They took the game by the horns and ran with it,” Shaun said.
“The wicket was pretty flat and they took full advantage of some loose bowling and good conditions.
“Didn’t really give a chance.”
The Tigers will have to work hard to defend the total.
Moorabbin has the second-leading run scorer, Susantha Pradeep, in their ranks, while the Tigers are a strike bowler short with Jake Purton injured.
“It’s another test,” Dean said.
“You’re coming up against the best batsman in the comp on a flattish, mundane wicket.”
VSDCA RESULTS
Firsts: Moorabbin v Werribee 8-330 (T O’Brien 183no, MJ Dean 88; CK Sampath 3-118).
Seconds: Werribee 8-322 (A Duxson 97, C Hennessy 82, M Burton 72, NJ Duxson 25) v Moorabbin.
Thirds: Ivanhoe 103 (S Becker 30; C Ratnayake 4-17, J Doolan 2-19, M Andrews 2-22) v Werribee 1-107 (O Doolan 62no, S Johnston 28).
Fourths: Werribee 1-21 v Ivanhoe 142 (S Ahmad 36, J Begeman 31, MJ Malloy 25no; D Gage 3-24, M Crameri 2-21, LM Gibbs 2-23)
