Footscray got some reward for effort with a good win against Geelong in Victorian Premier Cricket in the second last round.
The Bulldogs set up the win on day one and were able to get the job done on Saturday despite wet weather hanging around.
Bulldogs coach Dale McDonald said they were happy with the win.
“We played well,” he said. “We worked really hard on day one and we won the toss which worked really well.
“We were in a reasonable position after day one.”
The Bulldogs bowled Geelong out on 145 on day one with Ben Roosenboom taking 5-26.
Footscray managed to get to 3-85 at stumps with Travis Dean and Jack Prestwidge at the crease.
McDonald said there was a bit of rain around but they managed to play for most of the day.
“We had Trav and Presty at the crease and they absorbed a lot of pressure.early on,” he said.
“We started a bit later with the rain. We had an early lunch and an early tea with rain, we were off 30 to 40 minutes each time.
“We were just happy to get the win.”
The Bulldogs finished 6-166 to get the win. Dean made 34, while milestone man Dylan Kight made 23 not out in game 250.
The win was just the Bulldogs fourth of the season. They sit in 14th spot.
McDonald said it wasn’t quite the season they had been hoping for, but there were still a lot of positives.
“All bar one of those games, against Prahran, we’ve been pretty close,” he said. “I don’t want to use injuries as an excuse but our depth has been tested throughout the club.
“Though it gives opportunities to some guys who would not be playing first or second XI normally.”
Some of those who missed big chunks of the season were Josh Pace, Jack Prestwidge and Aiman Nadeem.
Pace broke both his arms the day out from the under-19 nationals after a hit and run while he was riding his bike.
Nadeem broke his foot before Christmas, while Prestwidge, who hasn’t bowled, is set for more knee surgery.
“That’s three key players and it made it challenging,” McDonald said.
The Bulldogs will finish their season the next two Saturdays against Dandenong.
All four Bulldogs sides will miss out on finals with the second and fourth XIs both knocked out of finals contention on the weekend.
McDonald said they would look to continue to turn up like they had each week.
Meanwhile, Bulldogs’ Dylan Brasher has earned his second call up in the Victorian squad this season.
McDonald said it was a good reward for Brasher who has performed at every level he has played this season.
Brasher was set to find out on Tuesday if he would make his debut, having had strong performances for the Bulldogs and Victoria’s second XI.
