Williamstown was ruing a number of dropped catches after day one of its local derby with Altona in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association at Frank Kirk Oval on Saturday.
The Seagulls will be forced into a hefty run chase after the A’s made them pay by making a healthy 9-239 off 80 overs on home soil.
Seagulls all-rounder Craig Sheedy said his team’s sloppy fielding let the bowlers down.
“It was really disappointing to drop those catches because we actually bowled really well,” he said.
Altona was superbly led by captain Adam Yates and middle order batsman Sean Hollins.
Yates made 68 and Hollins top-scored with 74, but it could have been a different story.
“I think they both got dropped early,” Sheedy lamented.
“They got their runs but they wouldn’t have got there if we had held our catches.”
All five Williamstown bowlers were used for long spells.
And, to skipper Dale McDonald’s delight, all were economical.
Jarrod Flood-Bauce continued his outstanding form with 3-44 off 12 overs.
Flood-Bauce has been a revelation since his promotion from the seconds in January.
He has taken 13 wickets at an average of 11 in three first XI appearances and seems to have locked away his spot in the team ahead of the finals.
“He’s been great” Sheedy said.
“He’s really fired up and plays like he belongs here.
“He’s only a whippet, but he’s dug the ball in and got the ball around shoulder length and the batsmen have been shocked with it.
“He’s sort of been a bonus for us that we didn’t think we had.”
McDonald produced some tidy bowling of his own with 3-37 off 12.
He claimed the important wicket of Hollins.
Sheedy finished with 2-64, including the scalp of Yates, while Patrick O’Malley snared 1-64.
Williamstown does not fear a big run chase.
The Seagulls have scored more than 300 runs three times and have made the second-most runs of any team in the competition.
Sheedy was confident his team could produce the goods.
“We go into any chase really confident and think we can chase any score that’s in front of us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yarraville signalled its intentions for a speedy return to the top six with a gigantic score of 5-380 on day one against St Bernard’s at Yarraville Oval.
The Eagles big day was set up with a 231-run partnership between captain-coach Matthew Love (114) and Joe Billings (119).
Josh Turner made 53 not out late in the day to push the Eagles into a nigh on unassailable position in the game.
In Premier Cricket, Footscray is well in control of proceedings against Kingston Hawthorn at Walter Galt Reserve.
The Hawks only managed 176 and the Bulldogs were on 1-51 at stumps.
