TIM O’Brien had to be one tough hombre at the crease for Werribee to record his first century for the club in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association on Saturday.
The Tigers managed to grind out a competitive 227 against Elsternwick in unexpectedly tough conditions at Chirnside Park.
Tigers captain Shaun Dean did not envisage a ball seaming around like it was early on day one.
Nor did he have prior knowledge of the top-shelf visiting bowling attack that he rates the best he has faced in sub-district cricket.
It made O’Brien’s 102 not out all the more impressive as the vice-captain showed tremendous fighting spirit in a back-to-the-wall innings.
“It was a fresh wicket, so it was a bit unknown, it had a little bit of grass cover on it,” Dean said.
“I would’ve been happy to lose the toss to be honest. It was too good a day to be standing in the field just hoping the wicket might have something in it.
“We’re pretty happy with that score.”
O’Brien was the talk of Watton Street on Saturday night. He will get no awards for elegance, but the plaudits came for his refusal to bow to the conditions and the opposition.
O’Brien arrived at the crease with the Tigers in trouble on 2-18 and formed a solid 41-run third wicket partnership with Dean (38).
Moreover, they scuffed up the ball, quietened down the fielding side and showed the Wicks that this Tigers outfit will not go down without a fight.
“It was tough early with the ball seaming around,” Dean said.
“Myself and Tim weren’t scoring real fluently and it took us a long while to break the shackles.
“We played and missed a hell of a lot, but we grounded out a bit of a partnership to settle the nerves in the dressing room.”
O’Brien kept going and going until he ran out of batting partnership.
He featured in vital late stands with Adam Alifraco (22) and Matthew Thomson (23).
Once O’Brien reached 70, he accelerated to the ton.
“By any means, it wasn’t fluent or the prettiest hundred,” Dean said.
“He just got the job done, grounded it out and posted most of our score.”
The Tigers will try and defend the total back at Chirnside Park on Saturday from 1pm.
