Werribee captain Shaun Dean has started the new year like he finished the last.
He has red ink in his past three Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association innings with scores of 112, 42 and 35.
The No.3 batsman is back to his form of last summer and may have consigned his slow start to the season to cricket trivia.
“The hundred before Christmas got my confidence back,” Dean said. “I’m seeing the ball quite well at the moment, so hopefully I can capitalise on that even more.
“Once you go through a bit of a rough trot and get some runs back, you don’t want to give it away – you want to stay out in the middle as long as you can because you know how annoying it is when you’re sitting there watching.”
More importantly, Werribee’s hot streak as a team has continued into January with nine consecutive wins keeping it perched on top of the ladder.
The Tigers made hard work of a three-wicket win over Croydon at Chirnside Park on Saturday, but there was always the sense they would eventually come through with the result.
Wily veteran Heath Pritchard took 5-15 off nine overs to have the Tigers in a strong position with Croydon struggling at 9-68.
“He really split the game open,” Dean said. “He’s not express or anything like that, but he’s been around a while in sub-district cricket so he’s quite a smart bowler.”
Those expecting an early finish were a long way off the mark, with Croydon tailenders Hamish Paterson (60no) and Ross Dancey (17no) combining for a 79-run stand to push the visitors’ total to 9-147 off their allotted 45 overs.
“Once they got to the 140, it wasn’t going to be an easy chase,” Dean said.
While batting was tough on a green top, Werribee calmly negotiated its way
to 71 before the first wicket of Adam Duxson (16).
One became two when Matthew Dean departed for 36 on the same score and suddenly Croydon had a sniff.
Tim O’Brien’s dismissal for 16 made it 3-94 and triggered a mini-collapse, with the Tigers losing five wickets for 33.
Shaun Dean was stoic amid the carnage, guiding the Tigers to the target with Kyle Andrews (7no).
It was a big day for Andrews, who recently returned from injury, taking four catches behind the stumps and playing a late cameo with the bat.
The win was no masterpiece from the Tigers, but it keeps their one-game lead over Oakleigh at the top of the table intact ahead of a trip to Melton for a grand final re-match.
