By Ewen McRae
Altona has broken through for its first win of the sub-district cricket season, putting in the side’s most complete performance to date to knock off Moorabbin.
With both south-west first XI sides winless coming into the match, it was a high stakes game, with Altona’s bowlers settling quickest as they ran through the Moorabbin top order.
Jeremy Swan picked up three wickets in his second over, bowling both Moorabbin openers and number four Andrew Powell.
Swan added the wicket of Vishva Wijeratne soon after to have the visitors reeling at 4-14, but a middle-order fightback gave the scorecard some respectability.
Moorabbin moved to 70 before losing 3-0 to give Altona the upper hand once more, the tail providing little resistance as the side was dismissed in the final over for 105.
Swan finished with 4-22 off seven overs, while Adam Yates picked up 2-11.
In reply, Altona lost an early wicket when Amit Padwal was bowled for five, but David Kinsella (49no) and Yates (32) took the home side to the brink of a win. Yates was dismissed with the score on 64, but Greg Sheehan (15no) and Kinsella saw Altona safely to the breakthrough win, with the side finishing on 2-109.
Altona jumped from last to 11th with the win, with one game separating sixth from 12th on a congested ladder.
Williamstown narrowly avoided falling to its first defeat of the season, taking three late wickets to down Malvern by two runs.
After its much-vaunted top order had its first bad day of the year, Williamstown crept to 118 thanks largely to 38 not out from Brenton Hodges.
In reply, Malvern got off to a strong start, with a 42-run opening stand giving it a great chance for an upset win.
Williamstown was able to get back in the game, but Malvern progressed to 7-111 and the brink of a win before the Seagulls roared back.
Patrick O’Malley (4-16) grabbed his fourth wicket to revive hope, and then Jarrod Flood-Bauce (3-18) snared two wickets in as many balls to seal Williamstown’s fourth win of the season.
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