Footscray has produced a devastating performance with the ball to come away with a resounding 67-run win over two-time Victorian Premier Cricket defending champions Fitzroy Doncaster in a one-day game at Merv Hughes Oval on Saturday.
Considering the previous four innings at the venue this season yielded 200-plus scores, the Bulldogs must have felt slightly uncomfortable after making 186 off 49 overs.
Many Bulldogs batsmen got starts, but none went on to make an eye-catching score.
Opener Greg Munro was the Dogs’ top scorer with 42 off 58 balls. Munro featured in a 70-run second wicket partnership with Travis Dean, who made 37 off 47.
It was tough going for the Bulldogs thereafter with Matthew Underwood the pick of the rest with 33 off 58 and tail-ender Jack Sheppard carving out a valuable 20 not out off 27.
If Footscray was to claim victory, it needed a top shelf bowling effort, and that’s what it got. Jonah Koch got the ball rolling for the Bulldogs with 2-24 off six, including the important scalp of Glenn Maxwell cheaply for six.
Sheppard took 3-25 off six with all three wickets being recognised batsmen.
Tim Buszard cleaned up the Fitzroy Doncaster tail to finish with 4-14 off 7.3 and leave the Lions all out for 119.
Buszard is the equal leading wicket-taker in the competition with eight wickets, level with four other players from opposition clubs.
Consecutive wins has seen Footscray leap up to sixth on the ladder.
The in-form Bulldogs will hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday when they face Monash Tigers at Central Reserve.
Both teams are 2-1 and looking to break into the top four.
