WERRIBEE Centrals started the Victorian Turf Cricket Association west B1 grand final in a white hot fashion and had St Andrews backed into a corner at 7-31 in a touch over 22 overs on Saturday at Laverton Park.
“To have a side 7-31 on a road, you couldn’t hope for any more,” Centurions opening batsman Chris Duffin said.
“The first day panned out perfectly. Our fielding was phenomenal, Sammy [Crea] was bowling unbelievable and they couldn’t work Aaron [Edrich] out at all.”
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Then the rain came and the Saints were let off the hook by a downpour that stopped play. They had a chance to regroup, start the second day afresh and build a score of 90 — nothing flash, but better than the projected score when they were earlier 8-32.
The Centurions began to make errors in the field that were evident in their final-round clash with Point Cook and, perhaps understandably, complacency set in.
“It was a completely different story from the first day,” Duffin admitted. “We played really well on Saturday and were really ruthless. Coming back the next day, I’m not sure if the guys were a bit complacent, but we let ourselves down in the field and are very disappointed with that.”
The Centurions are still in a match-winning position. To roll a side for 90 when it has elected to bat is the stuff of dreams. Crea, one of the most talented young players in the competition, brought his best to the table with 6-30 off 18 overs and Edrich strangled the life out of the Saints with 2-18 off 18 overs, including eight maidens.
The Centurions made a hesitant start to be 2-3.
That brought Duffin and Mark Nankervis to the crease and they were less than certain against a new ball.
“It took me 24 balls to get off the mark and Mark was one off about 30,” Duffin said. “We just had to knuckle down and we did that. The longer we were out there, the better.”
Duffin (18) took the score along to 49 before he was trapped lbw.
Nankervis (47) kicked along but was removed before the first innings target was reached.
Jared Lions played a significant role in the middle order, surviving to stumps on 40 and moving the score along to 6-131, a lead of 41.
The Centurions still have plenty of batting to come.
“We’ll go out there and try to bat as long as we can to make it hard for them,” Duffin said. “We’re feeling confident with where we’re at at the moment, but it’s a grand final and anything can happen.”
With 160 overs left in the game, the Centurions can dictate the flow, having sewn up a first innings lead. The third and fourth days will determine the premiers this weekend.
WEST B1 GRAND FINAL
Werribee Centrals 6-131 (MW Nankervis 47 J Lions 40no; M Dorricott 2-29 TR Cullum 2-32) v St Andrews 90 (TR Cullum 35no; S Crea 6-30 AK Edrich 2-18 P Crea 2-23)
