By Ewen McRae
Werribee continued its form resurgence at the weekend, a century opening stand helping it secure a valuable sub-district south-west first XI win over Melton.
With Andrew Ford and Shaun Dean putting on 118 for the first wicket, Werribee’s middle and lower order batsmen were able to bat with freedom to take their side to 6-209 from their 45 overs, before a well-balanced bowling performance delivered it the points.
Werribee captain Tim O’Brien said it was a vital game and he couldn’t have been happier with the way it started.
“Both sides were coming into the game 1-1 after two games, so it was a pretty big one for both clubs,” O’Brien said.
“To put on 118 for the first wicket was brilliant … both those guys batted really well to set the game up. It was really important for us to have wickets in hand later in the day, because it was a hard wicket to get started on.
“We felt like that was a pretty good score on that ground – and then we bowled well to back that up.”
Werribee won the toss and batted on its home deck. Ford (50) and Dean (73) took their time early before cashing in as the game progressed, allowing O’Brien (20), James Freeman (21) and Chris Hennessy (23no) the chance to accelerate as the game wore on.
Photo Gallery: Werribee vs Melton
With 209 to defend, the Werribee bowlers stuck to their task diligently, with Bradley Apps getting the key wicket of Ben MacRae (5) early.
While just three Melton batsmen reached double figures, they were able to keep pace with the run rate for much of the day despite a steady stream of wickets.
They eventually fell short, bowled out in the penultimate over for 187, with Adam Alifraco (3-19), Tim Gage (2-27) and Freeman (2-45) doing most of the damage.
O’Brien said his side was starting to build momentum after its opening round loss.
“If we can start playing our best cricket and stay ahead of the ledger, it will put us in a good spot come the end of the year.”
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