A new season has brought a new dawn for Footscray Edgewater in Victorian Premier Cricket.
The bitterness of last summer’s finals miss has been replaced with renewed optimism after the Bulldogs started a fresh campaign on Friday with a five-wicket win over Melbourne University in a one-day match at Merv Hughes Oval.
The Bulldogs had to do it without captain Dean Russ, import Dan Hodgson and all-rounder Guy Walker, all unavailable.
“It was a potential banana skin for us,” Bulldogs coach Steve Chapman told Star Weekly.
“We had a few lads missing. The overseas player isn’t here yet, Dean Russ was at a wedding and Guy Walker is still unavailable.
“So with three senior first-team players out, it was an outstanding result.”
The Bulldogs have spruiked the depth in their ranks this season and this was a great chance for them to showcase it.
“When we’re at full strength, we’ll have 16 or 17 first-team players to choose from and, hopefully, that will reflect in the seconds’ results,” Chapman said.
Matthew Gudde took his chance, putting his name up in lights with a blistering 72 after the Bulldogs struggled to 4-32 chasing a modest 181 for victory.
Travis Dean was the rock of the innings, batting through the 46.1 overs to make 76 not out, but you would expect no less from a player hoping to stake his claim for a spot in the Victorian Bushrangers team this season.
When the innings needed a kickalong, it was Gudde who delivered in spectacular fashion in only his second first XI match.
Dropped only three balls into his innings, Gudde rode his luck, making the most of his lifeline to produce a confident innings that included a crowd-pleasing four sixes, one of which sailed onto Farnsworth Avenue.
“The most important part of his innings was his first 20 balls,” Chapman said.
“If he’d succumbed in that time, we could’ve been knocked over, but it just sort of calmed the game down a bit and allowed Travis Dean to carry on. He not only settled the ship but took the game on; he was quite destructive.”
Earlier, the Bulldogs restricts Uni to a manageable 3.67 runs per over as opening bowler Lucas Dredge (3-23) and spinner Michael Kelly (0-23) tightened the screws with the ball.
The Bulldogs have made a flying start but will need to refocus with a double header of one-day matches this weekend.
They hit the road on Saturday to face Fitzroy Doncaster at Schramms Reserve before returning home on Sunday to entertain Greenvale Kangaroos.
In Sub-District, Altona, led by skipper Shane Jones (85) and Stefan Sidari (41), posted 167 against new boys Hoppers Crossing (0-22) at Frank Kirk Oval.
Werribee set Yarraville a massive 307 for victory at Yarraville Oval after allowing the Dean brothers, Matt (132) and Shaun (91), off the leash.
There was no play on the first day between Williamstown and Oakleigh.
