The monkey is off the back for Werribee Centrals.
The Centurions recorded their first win of the season, by 33 runs over Williamstown CYMS in the VTCA north-west A1 match at Altona Meadows Reserve on Saturday.
“It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve had a lot of close games this season,” Centurions skipper Luke Allister said.
“It was good to finally get a win under the belt. We’ve been in a lot of good positions this year to win games and we’ve let a few slip.
“It just shows that if you keep working at things you’re going to reap the rewards.”
Werribee Centrals’ bowling unit put the clamps on the home side, restricting CYs to a gettable 5-140 from 40 overs.
Opening bowlers Jayden Golowka (0-15 off five) and Jacob Russell (1-16 off eight) produced tight lines and lengths, proving hard to get away.
When CYs tried to lift the run rate, they were confronted by an even more miserly Rahmatullah Khwaja, who took 2-13 off eight. “Those figures in a one-dayer are pretty extraordinary when you think it was a pretty flat deck and he was bowling at the end of the innings,” Allister said. “His experience around the group, especially for myself, being a young first-time captain, is huge.”
Werribee Centrals weren’t going to let this one slip away.
The Centurions passed the target six down but always seemed in control.
Agha Adeel top-scored for the Centurions with 39, continuing his solid form.
“He’s been a big pick-up for us,” Allister said. “How he hasn’t made a big score is beyond us because you watch him bat and you think there’s a really big one around the corner.”
Khwaja capped a stand-out, all-round performance with 25, while Waqar Shah added 22 not out.
Allister was pleased to see his batsmen take a positive mindset into the run chase.
“You can break the shackles a little bit in the one-dayers,” he said.
Werribee Centrals might have only one win, but they’re just 17 points out of the finals race.
While mindful of relegation danger, the Centurions haven’t totally given up hope of featuring in this season’s finals, but they will need to get a wriggle on and victory over Kingsville in a one-day match at Galvin Park on Saturday is a must.
“It’s obviously a long shot, but it’s a tight table so we’re still a chance to make the finals and that’s what we’re still aiming to do,” Allister said.
In north-west B1, Wyndham Vale fell 22 runs short against Maribyrnong St Mary’s.
The Falcons were restricted to 7-186 in their search for the 209 target.
The difference in the game was Marby opener Harpreet Singh, who made 112 not out.
Point Cook was also on the receiving end, losing to Newport-Digman by 24 runs at Bryan Martyn Oval.
