WYNDHAMVALE will be hoping nature does not serve up a repeat of the terrible weather that ruined the Williamstown and District Cricket Association A1 turf semi-finals last summer.
The opening weekend of last season’s finals was a total wipe-out due to wet grounds and resulted in the top-two sides advancing automatically to the grand final.
The Falcons have left themselves susceptible to the elements after failing to clinch a top-two finish.
They owned second spot entering Saturday’s last round, but lost a one-day game to reigning premiers West Newport Lions by 31 runs at Wyndhamvale Reserve. The Lions gleefully accepted the top-two present and will play host when the same sides go at it in the semi-final at Loft Reserve this weekend.
CLICK HERE for our picture gallery of the big game.
Falcons all-rounder Ryan Radford said there was little to separate the two sides in their latest meeting.
“It wasn’t a bad hit-out getting to play a good side in the last week [before finals],” he said. “It should be a very good contest going on what we saw this game.”
The Falcons will learn a lot from their latest loss. They were made to pay for slight lapses in concentration.
Their first lapse came early in the Lions innings of 7-195.
“We struggled a little bit early in the first 10 to 12 overs and that’s probably what killed us,” Radford said. “They scored pretty quickly and we dropped two or three catches, which didn’t help. We just lacked a bit of intensity early.”
The next lapse came with the bat.
The Falcons got bogged down in the middle overs after a shotgun start.
The wickets started to tumble as the run rate required spiralled out of control. “We probably just didn’t make enough runs between overs 20 and 30,” Radford said.
“Then we had to chase a bit hard at the end.”
The Falcons can take heart out of the opening stand between Andrew Ford (35) and Andrew Mundey (31).
The openers put on 63 for the first wicket. Radford produced one of his best spells of the season, taking 3-35 off 10.
The Falcons recent form, unbeaten in seven games before the loss to the Lions, proves it will be a formidable opponent when the March action rolls around.
“If we play to our best, we’re certainly a very good chance,” Radford said.
WDCA
A1 turf: Wyndhamvale 164 (A Ford 35 A Mundey 31; P Hick 3-48 CW Irving 2-36 N Jones 2-41) lt West Newport 7-195 (J Eason-Jones 55 B Jones 37 A Floyd 34 P Hick 26 RD Radford 3-35).
B1 turf: Bellbridge 154 (M Child 5-44 T Stanchinotti 2-16) lt Williamstown Congs 5-159 (M Leach 63 B Mifsud 32 S Dyson 25).
C composite: Tarneit 264 (R Taneja 123 D Sharma 57 B Singh 31; A Clarke 5-43 L Ryan 3-99) d Seabrook 62 (K Alfred 5-5 A Athale 3-24); Western All Stars 117 lt Grand United 2-125.
