Wyndham Vale has taken a calculated risk to declare its innings closed at 9-210 with six overs to spare on day one of its game with Newport-Digman.
The VTCA west A1 clash at Wyndham Vale Reserve promises to be a tight tussle.
The Falcons rolled the dice, but they didn’t fall their way with Newport-Digman trimming 11 runs off the chase with all 10 wickets in hand.
Falcons captain Andrew Ford was content with the declaration decision.
“We just wanted to move the game on a bit quicker,” he said. “It was the last-wicket partnership, there were six overs left, we might have got 10 more runs. But we thought we had more to gain by sticking them in and perhaps taking a couple of wickets.
“We created a couple of little chances but weren’t quite able to take one. They’ve still got to get 200 next week, so it’s a competitive total.”
A constant in the Wyndham Vale innings was No.4 batsman Adam Moscatiello, who carved out a fine 71 not out.
Import Tyler McGladdery made a quickfire 38 at the top of the order and Stephen Williams made the same score in a supporting role.
But it was Moscatiello who did most of the damage.
“I thought it was a very mature knock and we batted around him well,” Ford said. “He played his role, knocked the ball around and ran very well. He was the pick of the batsmen.” Both captains will head into day two confident of picking up their first win of the summer.
Last year’s Wyndham Vale club champion Jay Dolliver will be the key and spinners Jonathan Ford and Michael Nalesnyik will cause a few headaches.
Young medium-pacers Adam Walls and Aaron Graham could play vital roles.
“We’ve got an attack that’s good enough to create at least 10 chances, so I’ll back my bowlers to bowl well and the fielders to take their chances,” Ford said.
In other games, Werribee Centrals will be going for an outright result after wrapping up first innings points on day one against Royal Park-Brunswick at Ransford Oval. The Centurions bowled the Royals out for just 96 with Nathan Johnson taking a stunning 7-21 in 13.5 overs and Matthew Kozole snaring 3-26.
The visitors were 3-100 at stumps.
In west B1, Seabrook piled on 8-248 against Barkly Street Uniting at Bruce Comben Reserve, with Andrew Hodgart (89no) and Peter Fraczek (66) combining for 115 for the seventh wicket.
Point Cook is 1-10 in reply to Sunshine YCW’s 168 at Kinder Smith Reserve. Raj Sandhu took 5-56 to have Point Cook in a strong position at stumps.
