Stingy bowling was the tonic for Kingsville Baptists to edge Werribee Centrals by 14 runs on Saturday to keep their VTCA west A1 finals hopes alive.
Kingy, last summer’s west B1 premiers, have found the step-up in class difficult, but a win of this nature proves they belong.
In such a tight division – a mere seven points separate second from eighth, with Kingy sitting right among the group in sixth – a strong second half of the season could result in a finals appearance.
Kingsville failed to see out their allotted 40 overs at Skinner Reserve and were bowled out for 141. Senad Levic and Sujith Nikethana both made 35, but it was slim pickings for the rest.
It took Kingy’s best bowling to snuff out the Centrals challenge, skittling them for 127.
Daniel Shanahan enjoyed his best outing of the season with 4-31 off eight overs.
Elsewhere in west A1, skipper Matt Shiell made 100 not out and took 3-2 in Newport- Digman’s 86-run mauling of top side Altona Roosters at Langshaw Reserve.
Gihan Kankanamge made his second ton of the summer for St Andrews, with 124 in a 50-run win over Royal Park-Brunswick at Pennell Reserve.
Yaditha Ushan snared 5-17 to lead Footscray United to a 34-run victory over Wyndham Vale away at Wyndham Vale Reserve.
In senior division, Yarraville Club is just 0.41 points off the top of the ladder after an 80-run hammering of Hampton at Boss James Reserve.
The Clubbers posted 5-248 in their chase for Hampton’s 169 target after half-centuries from John Blake (61) and Andrew Cullen (65no).
In north-west division, Spotswood lost ground on the top four after a 29-run defeat by Keilor, while Druids, who beat Keilor Park, and Seddon, who toppled second-placed Airport West-St Christophers, have a bit of breathing room in the race to the finals.
In west B1, Williamstown Imperials, led by 73 and 2-37 from Lee Elmore, moved up to fourth with a comfortable 52-run win over Barkly Street Uniting.
Footscray ANA holds down third after a 14-run win over Point Cook, while West Newport had a hard-fought 10-run victory in their battle with Sunshine YCW to keep in touch with the top four.
