Point Cook secured vital first innings points over Sunshine YCW on Saturday’s first day of a two-day clash, with 20 wickets falling in a bowler-dominated VTCA west B1 battle at Saltwater Reserve.
The Warriors made a paltry 99 in 54.4 overs, but the home team roared back with the ball to rout YCW for just 46 in a stunning turnaround that produced a handy lead of 53.
Warriors’ skipper Travis Bean would not have bet his house on his side defending the tiny total.
“I never would’ve thought in a million years we’d defend 99,” he told Star Weekly.
“I thought we were probably 50 or 60 under what would’ve been a good score, given how the wicket was.
“We got some early wickets, we got their best player out – the opener who has made quite a few runs this year. That gave us hope, but I didn’t think we were safe until we had their captain, Chris Armstrong, because he can be pretty destructive.
“Once we got those two out, I thought we were in with half a chance and luckily enough we kept on getting wickets on a regular basis.”
It was medium-pacers who did the damage for the Warriors. Joe Farmer was the clear pick of them with 4-28 off 10+.4 overs.
“He did amazingly well, swinging the ball and using the conditions really well,” Bean said. “He created the pressure at one end, which got the wickets at the other.”
Raj Sandhu was a handful, with 3-16 off seven overs, while Mark Scheeberger made the most of his three, taking 2-1.
Undoubtedly the player who had the biggest impact on the first day was Bean. The Warriors’ opener was the only batsman to put real value on his wicket, making an even 50 and featuring in nine batting partnerships. “It was a long innings,” he said.
While the Warriors hold a 60-run first innings lead, they are wary of the threat YCW will pose on the second day. After all, YCW is one of the premiership front-runners in second place, while the Warriors are way down in seventh.
Meanwhile, Seabrook had a nightmare first day against winless cellar-dweller Barkly Street Uniting at Maribyrnong Reserve, going down in the first innings in extraordinary fashion.
Set just 82 to secure first inning points, the Saints were skittled for 29.
In west A1, Werribee Centrals posted 186 on day one of their local derby against Wyndham Vale at Galvin Park. The Falcons survived one over late in the day to go to stumps on 0-2.
