INBRIEF

Cricket

West Newport will fight it out with second-placed Wyndhamvale for a home final in the Williamstown and District Cricket Association A1 turf at Wyndhamvale Reserve on Saturday.

Wests, sitting third, kept their top-two hopes alive with a 108-run mauling of Grand United on the road at Parsons Reserve on Saturday. Trent Jones blasted 83 not out to put the smiles back on the Wests’ connections, who are still feeling low after their clubrooms at Loft Reserve were burnt down this month.

AFL

The Western Bulldogs made a rough start to the NAB Cup preseason competition. The Dogs suffered losses to Essendon (26 points) and Collingwood (18) at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. All teams in the opening round play two back-to-back games with shortened halves. The Bulldogs have a week off from competitive action before meeting Hawthorn on Friday-week in a stand-alone, full-four-quarter game back at the Docklands.