By Lance Jenkinson
All aboard the Werribee express. It has been a fun ride so far this season for the road warriors of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
The Tigers have played their opening five games away from Chirnside Park for a flawless record, winning four with a draw thrown in due to exceptional circumstances.
They sit comfortably among the premiership contenders in the east-west group.
While the wins have been frequent for Werribee – they secured more points in a thrilling victory over Noble Park on Saturday – it is never an easy path when you are playing away from home.
Tigers captain-coach Tim O’Brien said his team has needed to be switched on, particularly for the long trips to the east.
“We have to play some good cricket to get over the line,” he said.
Werribee was staring down the barrel early in its clash with Noble Park at Noble Park Reserve.
The hosts had the look of a side that was destined for a big score as they advanced to 2-109.
However, Werribee did not let the situation get out of hand, reeling Noble Park back to restrict it to a manageable 4-199.
Jonathan Burton was huge for Werribee, producing an economical 1-15 off nine overs.
Burton was so impressive that O’Brien let him bowl his nine allotted overs without change.
“I wasn’t planning to bowl him nine straight, but I thought he was doing such a good job from one end and we had Jack Budd in the side, who is pretty good at the death, so I kept him on,” O’Brien said.
Werribee timed its run to victory to perfection.
The Tigers passed the target four down with four balls to spare.
Having the Dean brothers in form certainly helps the Tigers cause. Matt (70) and Shaun (37) laid the platform for a memorable win.
O’Brien (28) and James Freeman (32 not out) put the finishing touches on the victory. Werribee is on the road again to face Mount Waverley in a one-day game on Saturday.
