By Ewen McRae
Williamstown sits alone on top of the sub-district cricket south-west first XI ladder following another strong showing, with both bat and ball, at the weekend.
Taking on previously unbeaten Hoppers Crossing for early season bragging rights, Williamstown escaped some early innings trouble on Saturday to post a strong total.
A well-rounded Sunday with the ball delivered the side it’s fifth win for the season by 63 runs.
Captain Brent McMinn heaped the praise on middle order pair Matthew Dervan and Brenton Hodges after their 164-run partnership set their side on the path to victory.
“Those two guys really stood up and took the game on,” McMinn said.
“They really took the game away from Hoppers Crossing – they were just brilliant. Full credit to the Hoppers bowlers early, because our top three normally gets the job done. But with Matt and Brenton, it was just their day really.
“It was the match-winner, because with our bowling line-up I had full confidence after we put that score together.”
The Cats started the better, with Greg Kennedy (2-50) grabbing two early wickets, and Brett Smith chiming in with one to have the Seagulls in early trouble.
Photo Gallery: Williamstown vs Hoppers Crossing
When Mitchell Streiff and Matthew Twentyman fell cheaply, the visitors were 5-46 and staring down the barrel of a paltry total, but Dervan and Hodges dug deep to rescue the day.
They were watchful against the good balls and slowly built the total.
Both fell late in the day, but the damage had been done.
Dervan was the first to go for 83, while Hodges was run out in the shadows of stumps for 94 as Williamstown finished on 7-251.
Hoppers Crossing was always going to find the chase tough on a wearing pitch, though openers Jack Rhodes (32) and Cameron Nicol (24) frustrated the Williamstown attack with a patient 53-run stand to start the day.
But when Nicol fell to Fraser Hay, a mini-collapse ensued, with the Cats slipping to 3-68.
From there the hosts struggled to maintain momentum.
Despite handy contributions from Nick Keast (37) and Smith (30), the total proved too great. Hoppers were bowled out for 188.
McMinn said it was nice to have a one game break on top of the table.
“There’s a really good vibe in this team and we really want to go back-to-back this season,” he said. “We’re on track, but this week we come up against one of the best teams in the competition in Caulfield so we’ll soon find out how good we are.”
Elsewhere, twin unbeaten tons to David Kinsella and Adam Yates helped Altona to its second straight win as it proved far too strong for Brighton across the weekend.
Altona first did the job with the ball on Saturday.
Yates got his weekend off to the perfect start by collecting 6-31 as the hosts were dismissed for 180.
Shannon Clarke (3-53) was also impressive with the new ball early in the day.
On Sunday, Kinsella (104no) and Amit Padwal (29) got Altona’s chase off to a great start with a 44-run opening stand, before Yates (100no) joined the opener to see the visitors to the win.
Altona closed the day when both men had registered their milestones, finishing on 1-241.
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