Tara Murray
Altona Roosters are primed for a big back end to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association division 2 season.
The Roosters sit second of the ladder with two rounds and have all but already guaranteed their finals spot.
President Jim Sideris couldn’t be happier with how his side is going.
“We’re primed and ready to go,” he said. “Everyone is confident and everyone is training really well, our batters and our bowlers.
“We’re a really balanced side which is a massive strength of ours.”
The depth in the Roosters side is the reason for their success so far this season. Sideris said they don’t have one super star, but five or six players that they can depend on each week to get the job done.
“Everyone knows what role they play in the team,” he said. “We’re missing our best batsman who is back in Sri Lankan at the moment.
“There’s lots of moving parts and we have the players to cover those losses.”
The Roosters were one team to come away with the full points on Saturday as rain meant many games ended in draws.
In division 2, three matches went ahead on Saturday, which was day day or the respective matches.
Sideris said it was really important for them to get out there and play and said the professionalism of the club’s ground staff had made that happen.
The Roosters resumed at 3-34 in reply to Williamstown CYMS’ 97.
The Rooster had to work hard to get the runs, but got the job done, bowled out for 117.
Ashleigh Peters top scored with 41, having taken three wickets on day one.
The CYs then went back and finished 5-89 in their second innings. Kieran Gray was 44 not out.
Peters continued his good form, taking another three wickets.
Sideris said there was no chance of getting a second straight outright win.
“Williamstown is batting very slow and defensively,’ he said. “They were batting well and not throwing their wickets away.
“It was just about getting the win.”
The Roosters this week face Keilor Park. Sideris said they can’t take the Devils lightly, despite them being further down the ladder.
“They are further down the ladder, but so was Williamstown CYMS and we only beat them by 20 runs,” he said.
“If you drop 10 per cent and take your eyes off the prize, you’re back in the fold.”
Overall Sideris said things were going really well at the club.
He said the club was continuing to go from strength to strength, as it looks to provide local players somewhere locally to play at a high standard of cricket.
He said they were trying to build to be one of the better teams in the inner west.
In other division 2 matches, the Newport derby between West Newport and Newport-Digman ended in a draw.
Footscray United got another win to stay clear at the top of the table, beating the Greenvale Kangaroos, while Kingsville lost to St Andrews Pascoe Vale.
Keilor Park and Royal Park-Brunswick’s match ended in a draw with no play on day two.
