FOOTSCRAY Edgewater laboured with the bat on day one against a Jonathan Fagg-led Fitzroy-Doncaster attack in Victorian Premier Cricket at the Merv Hughes Oval on Saturday.
The Bulldogs could manage only a slow-burn 181 off 83.1 overs as Fagg nagged with his line and length to pick up 5-39 in 18 damaging overs.
Bulldogs coach Barry Neivandt told the Weekly it was a tough day at the office for his batsmen.
“They battled hard, but you have to give credit to Jonathan Fagg, who bowled really well and was swinging the ball terrifically,” he said.
“An honest toiler, he bowled beautifully and, good luck to him — to our dismay of course.”
The Bulldogs were without star opener Wes Robinson. The WA recruit had played state second XI cricket during the week and tweaked a hamstring.
While it was not considered serious, the Dogs were taking no risks with Robinson, who will return to the line-up this week to replace Victorian Bushrangers-bound all-rounder John Hastings. .
What it did was break up one of the most formidable opening combinations in Premier Cricket.
Captain Dean Russ opened with English import Arun Harinath and the pair took the shine off the new ball. Harinath, who made 15, was first to go with the score on 35.
The wickets tumbled after that with the Bulldogs losing five for just 39 to be in a spot of bother at 5-74.
“With the moisture around in the air and with the amount of rain that we had during the week, it certainly would help anyone,” Neivandt said.
“They bowled in good areas and that was the key. They bowled to a plan and didn’t allow us to score freely.”
Wicketkeeper Dylan Kight and Ben Green combined to breathe new life into the innings. They occupied time at the crease in a 43-run sixth-wicket stand. When Green was caught for 27, it was squarely on the shoulders of Kight to hit the Dogs to a competitive total, and the youngster relished the challenge until he was run out for 41 in a mix-up with tail-ender Hamish Winter-Irving.
“He was batting his heart out,” Neivandt said. “He was real cautious and batting beautifully. Then a mishap, a run out, whether it was his call or not, it was Hamish’s call and he didn’t call, and bingo, you get run out.”
Winter-Irving made 19 and Tallan Wright added 13.
The Bulldog defence got off to a fine start to have the Lions 1-8 at stumps. If the Bulldogs bowlers take a leaf out of the Fitzroy-Doncaster book, Neivandt is confident it is still a two-horse race.
“Equal conditions, I think the game is right on, it’s up for grabs,” he said. “If there’s anything we can learn from, it’s the way they bowled, given the conditions.
“The challenge is to bowl a disciplined line and length and, if we can do that, it will be an absorbing finish.”
SCOREBOARD
Firsts: Footscray Edgewater 181 (D Kight 41, D Russ 28, B Green 27; J Fagg 5-39, P Dickson 2-23) v Fitzroy Doncaster 1-8.
Seconds: Fitzroy Doncaster 173 (D Motschall 60, L Banthorpe 35; AW McCammond 7-49) v Footscray Edgewater 0-19.
Thirds: Footscray Edgewater 0-2 v Fitzroy Doncaster 272 (T McGurgan 93, J Ellis 44, S Kudage-Don 38; S Hollins 5-32 J King 2-22, M Livingstone 2-56).
Fourths: Fitzroy Doncaster 9-200dec (NW Taylor 77no, JC Hayes 64; M Kip 5-30) v Footscray Edgewater 1-17.
