A seven-wicket haul from Travis Waring has lifted Hoppers Crossing to first-innings points over Keilor in their senior division game at Hogans Road Reserve.
Arriving on Saturday to find a soft deck, Waring must have been licking his lips at the prospect of his medium pace bowling gaining extra aid from the pitch.
Waring took full advantage to rattle the visitors with 7-36 off 12.4 overs, including a tireless 10-over spell.
“It was perfect conditions for him,” Cats president Steve McNamara said. “The ball was holding up a little bit … it suited his pace.”
Keilor perished for 115 in 39.4 overs.
PICTURE GALLERY: Hoppers Crossing v Keilor
Waring claimed the scalps of four of the top five batsmen in the order.
The Cats’ import leg-spinner, Sanka Abeyruwan, cleaned up the remaining wickets, including top-scorer Dan Schuppan (37).
Abeyruwan arrived from Sri Lanka with massive raps as an all-rounder and showed his worth with 3-23 off nine and 26 not out.
Having already debuted in first-class cricket and with ambitions to play Tests, could the 21-year-old be another Cats success story like Stuart Broad or Fawad Ahmed?
“We’re expecting big things from Sanka,” McNamara said. “He’s just completed a season of school cricket in Sri Lanka and he made 2000 runs with a couple of double centuries and took 50 wickets.
“He still has to get used to the Australian conditions.”
An outright could be on the cards, but McNamara wants to avoid the O-word at this stage.
“Every time we talk outrights, we get ourselves into a little bit of trouble,” he said. “Let’s see what the conditions are like and see what we can get on Saturday and work from there.”
In north A1, Werribee Centrals (162) are involved in a gripping contest with
St Albans (3-68). Nick Sardi belted 75 for the Centurions. In west B1, Wyndhamvale (2-125) has cruised to first innings points over Beaumaris (72).
Point Cook (3-83), led by Bryan Munce (5-30) and Aaron Whear (4-9), has the
upper hand against Sunshine YCW (114), while Seabrook (131) is staring down the barrel against newcomer Newport-Digman (1-81).
