Yarraville Club’s premiership defence got off to a shaky start with a 42-run loss to South Caulfield, the side it beat in last summer’s Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division grand final.
The Clubbers stalled out of the gates, conceding an imposing 3-218 off 40 overs.
Even for the deep Clubbers batting line-up that was going to take something special to chase down, and they could muster only 8-176 from their allotted overs.
Aaron Mato top-scored for the Clubbers with 46, while Andrew Cullen made 34.
The Clubbers will unfurl their premiership flag in round two against Hampton at Hansen Reserve on Saturday.
In north division, the eyes of the west were fixed on a thrilling local derby between Spotswood and Altona North.
The Woodsmen prevailed after defending their 145, restricting North to 9-139.
Man-of-the-match honours went to Woodsmen all-rounder Jeremy Brown, who made 45 and took 1-27 off eight overs.
Laverton was in all sorts of trouble at the mid-point of its clash with Westmeadows, having been bowled out for just 87. But the Magpies’ efforts with the ball were nothing short of spectacular with the Warriors perishing for just 46.
Magpies’ opening bowler Shaun Delaney finished with 3-1 off 6.5 overs, while there were three important wickets apiece to Michael Schirmer and Matthew O’Brien.
Seddon got its season off to a flyer with a crushing 65-run win over Royal Park-Brunswick.
John Taylor (46) and Tharindu Weerasinghe (48) were the backbone of the Dockers’ 5-152.
The Royals were skittled for 87 with Malith Cooray the chief destroyer with 3-19 and Thomas Matkovic keeping it tight with 2-5 off eight.
In west A1, St Andrews Footscray claimed a 57-run win against Sunshine Heights. Simon Krygger made 92 in the Saints’ imposing score of 8-197. The Heights’ chase was snuffed out by a five-wicket haul to Daniel Kilfoy.
Altona Roosters (5-133), led by teenage opener Aiden Elkington with 48, snuck home against Newport-Digman (8-113), while Footscray United (165) lost to Sunshine United (6-181), despite 4-32 from Rasika Fernando Mandadigie.
