By Lance Jenkinson
Seabrook captain Dilip Sarkhell is confident that Saturday’s breakthrough 78-run victory over Sunshine Heights will be a springboard for a more successful second half of the season for his team.
The Saints played some good cricket in the lead-up to Christmas in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 3, but remained winless until their one-day demolition of the Heights at Ainsworth Reserve.
Sarkhell said that belief never waned in the Saints camp during their nine-game winless streak to start the season, though it build pressure as they became a permanent dweller in the relegation zone.
“I told the guys when we were doing the warm up today, we’re a good enough team, you’ve just got to be positive about it and just play positive cricket,” he said.
“Positive cricket brought us this result and we’re going to carry this momentum forward.
“If play with this intent and positive attitude, I reckon we’ll get more wins.”
Sarkhell was ecstatic for his team after Seabrook’s upset win over the finals contending Sunshine Heights.
He was heartened by the manner of the win, executing most of what the Saints had planned for pre-game.
“I’m so stoked with the win,” he said.
“My adrenalin was running so high.
“It was a very good day and a great team day.”
The only blot on the Seabrook copybook was a top order collapse.
The Saints crumbled to 6-77 before Sarkhell (51 not out) and Stephen Morgan (39 not out) produced an unbroken 91-run partnership to lead their side to a competitive 6-168 off 40 overs.
“We still had a long time to bat, so it was just about keeping wickets in hand,” Sarkhell said.
“We kept talking to each other, saying we’ve just got to stay out here and it’s us two and that’s it, no one else needs to come in.
“If we are in, with the batting style that we have, we’d easily make the runs that we need and that’s what happened.
“We batted smart, we were getting boundaries every over and that helped.
“We kept the run rate ticking.”
Seabrook was superb with the ball and in the field. Opening bowler Hitesh Bavarva set the tone, charging in with the new ball to put the Heights batsmen on the back foot, before medium pacer Dhavel Patel became the chief destroyer with four wickets.
The Saints knew it would be their day when Peter Fraczek produced a team lifting direct-hit run out from mid on.
Seabrook remain on the bottom of the ladder, but will head to West Newport on Saturday with a pep in their step.
