It was clear from the moment Point Cook captain Travis Bean won the toss it was going to be a strange day in Victorian Turf Cricket Association west B1.
“It’s the first one I’ve won in nearly a year and a half,” Bean said.
It was a vital toss for the Warriors to snag, with 23 wickets falling on a track that had its share of demons for the batsmen.
A gleeful Bean told home side Deer Park-Ardeer to put the pads on and simply let his bowlers go to work.
Troy Semmens didn’t let him down, taking 6-25 off 13 overs, while Bryan Munce formed the other half of the new ball double act with 4-23 off 9.2.
The Lions were routed for just 57 in 26 overs.
“The ball was doing quite a bit but you still had to pitch it up and put it in the right spots,” Bean said.
The Warriors faced the same demons when it came their turn to bat and their top order had an equally tough time chasing first-innings points.
Not until an unlikely 10th-wicket partnership between Josh Grioli (18) and Jason Denton (3no) could they breathe easy. Bean was impressed with the calmness under pressure of the tailenders.
“They weren’t fazed at all,” he said. “We still needed 18 or so runs for the last wicket and those two did it beautifully.”
With first-innings points sewn up, Point Cook began its quest for an outright result with three late wickets before stumps to have the Lions 3-23.
Semmens grabbed two more wickets to finish with eight for the day.
Bean says his side will push strongly for maximum points when play resumes on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Wyndhamvale (5-70) will be praying for dry weather on day two, requiring just one run for first-innings spoils against Footscray ANA (70).
Speedster Jake Styles backed ANA into a corner with a stunning 4-19 off 19.2 overs.
Seabrook (0-6) survived to stumps without blemish in its pursuit of Barkly Street Uniting’s 176.
In north A1, Werribee Centrals (128), led by 56 from Nick Sardi, eked out a barely competitive total against Altona Roosters (3-67).
