What a week it was for Werribee Cricket Club on and off the field.
The Tigers had a stirring first XI win, were victorious in a mid-week Twenty20 game and had three of its gun players confirmed for representative honours.
Tigers player-coach Mitch Johnstone and opening batsman Matt Dean will be front and centre for the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association when it battles the Victorian Country Cricket League in their annual one-day game at Noble Park on Sunday.
It will be the first time Johnstone and Dean have obtained coveted VSDCA caps.
Johnstone, the first-year Tigers skipper, is looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the best players in his association and the bush.
“It’s a good opportunity for Matt and myself to play with the cream of the crop in the competition,” he said. “To play with players like Aaron Maynard and David McKay, who is captain, is a privilege.”
The VSDCA team is mostly extracted from last summer’s competition team of the year.
Johnstone has been solid with the ball since his arrival from Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows, taking nine wickets at 18.9 with his off-spin.
Dean is one of the form batsmen in the competition with 270 runs at 67.
He has hit two centuries this season and more runs than anyone but Brighton’s Ben Clements (329 at 82) and his brother, Shaun (340 at 340).
“Matt’s had a sensational start to the season and it’s thoroughly deserved,” Johnstone said.
If Johnstone and Dean are the present, Matt Watt is undoubtedly the future.
Watt has been named in the Victorian Metro 15 and under schoolboys team to play at the national championships in Brisbane in February.
Selected as a fast bowler, Watt is starting to show signs he could blossom into a bowling all-rounder.
“He plays in our third XI and is a good chance to play in our seconds at some stage during the course of the season,” Johnstone said.
“He’s a fantastic young prospect and I think he’s pretty highly rated at Cricket Victoria.
“He bowls at good pace from a big height and his batting is coming along quite nicely, too.”
The good news week continued on the field at Werribee.
The young Tigers continued to impress in a 27-run Twenty20 win over Sunshine on Tuesday night. The momentum continued into Saturday when they produced a magnificent run chase to beat Brighton by seven wickets.
Set a mammoth 284, the Tigers reached the target with 29 balls to spare, led by centuries from Tim O’Brien (134 off 138 balls) and Shaun Dean (100no off 177).
The Tigers will host Malvern in a two-day game at Chirnside Park starting on Saturday.
Hoppers Crossing played out a low-scoring tie with Malvern, with both sides bowled out for 133.
Alex Wyatt was outstanding for the Cats with 6-42 off 16 overs.
The Cats will host Moorabbin at a two-dayer at Hogans Road Reserve.
