Harper Sercombe
Footscray made it three Victorian Premier Cricket wins in a row on the weekend, defeating Melbourne University in a Saturday-Sunday two-day clash.
After a strong start with the bat from Melbourne, the Dogs began to get into their work taking the final six wickets for just 92 runs, including the final three falling, without a run being scored.
Dogs’ coach Dale McDonald said he was pleased with how his bowlers were unwavering with their plans, especially in-form frontline bowler Ben Roosenboom who took 4-30. Footscray ended Melbourne’s innings after 72.4 overs for 192 runs.
“We just stuck to our game plan and tried to put as much pressure on and reduce scoring where we could and with the pressure that we built,” he said.
“It certainly applied on them and they took some unnecessary risks and we pounced when we could.
“Boom [Roosenboom] is doing great, he’s been really consistent this year. He’s taken 17 wickets for the season which is great for him to be able to play some consistent first XI cricket.
“Our main goal at the start of the day was to get 10 wickets, so to get 10 wickets as early as what we did, allowed us to bat for 14 overs and go in on Saturday night at 39 runs and no wickets down set us up nicely.”
McDonald said heading into Sunday with both openers, Dylan Brasher and Aiman Nadeem, at the crease gave his side the head start they were after.
“It’s always a tricky period when it’s under 15 overs to face,” he said. ‘But both boys batted really well.
“It was good experience for Aiman as well, given that anyone that opens the batting and has to face limited overs the night before, you’ll gain experience from that which he did. It would have been nice if he followed it up a bit more yesterday but that’s the way it goes.
“He’s certainly gaining a lot of experience and Dylan Brasher is continuing some good form, he batted quite well yesterday.”
While no one in the line up for the Dogs was able to go on and make a big score with James Doherty top scoring with 59. McDonald said it was good to see him occupy time at the crease after being boosted up the order.
“We elevated him to four when he’s been batting at six or seven,” he said. “With Arjun Nair unavailable it gave James the opportunity to bat up there and he absorbed a lot of the pressure, he faced over 150 balls for his 59, so he batted quite well.”
Doherty fell just before the final runs were scored but was integral to the Dogs chasing down the runs, as they finished at 4-204.
The Dogs now sit just four points out of the top eight and have two established finals sides to come. The Dogs face Ringwood on Saturday for the first half of the penultimate game of the season.
“We’re sitting ninth, we ideally need to win both games to be able to potentially finish in the eight,” McDonald said.
“At the end of the day if we can play our best cricket, regardless of who we’re playing against… we’ll give it a good go.”
