It’s only round two, but already there is a must-win feel to the clash of winless sides Newport-Digman Bulls and Wyndham Vale, which concludes in Turf cricket west A1 at Wyndham Vale Reserve on Saturday.
The match is evenly poised with the Bulls needing exactly 200 for victory in 80 overs with 10 wickets in hand.
It’s hard to tip, but both sides will be going in with confidence.
The Bulls are backing in their batsmen.
“The game is certainly in the balance,” captain Matt Shiell told Star Weekly. “It’s a pretty easy equation. If we bat the overs, we should win the game.”
The Falcons are happy to have runs on the board. “Our attack is good enough to create at least 10 chances, so I’ll back my bowlers to bowl well and the fielders to take their chances,” skipper Andrew Ford said.
Come Saturday, one of the sides will be a long way behind the pack, while the other will have squared the ledger.
“It can be the cornerstone to setting the platform for the year or having your back against the wall,” Shiell said. “It’s important we come out with all guns blazing and get the points.”
Wyndham Vale gave the Bulls a bit of a leg-up late on day one. The Falcons declared on 9-210 with six overs to go in the hope of snaring a late wicket.
But the Bulls took advantage, trimming 11 off the target without the loss of a wicket. Those 11 runs could prove handy in what promises to be a close finish.
“Runs on the board are always handy,” Shiell said. “By the same token, you can understand why you’d throw a side in with six overs left in the day. It’s not the best time to bat.”
Shiell and Nick Formosa negotiated the tricky six overs, taking a bit of shine off the ball and gaining an insight to the opposition bowlers.
Earlier in the day, Shiell, with five wickets from his leg spin, and Andrew Tee, with three scalps off his left-arm medium pace, put the clamps on Wyndham Vale’s batsmen.
Tee’s impact was profound, bowling five straight maidens, including a triple- wicket maiden. “They were 0-44 off 10 overs and then he bowled five maidens on the trot which brought us back into the game,” Shiell said.
In senior division, titleholder Yarraville Club was 0-3 at stumps chasing 231 to beat St Bernard’s at Hansen Reserve.
