Yarraville is well positioned to make it four wins on the trot in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association after English import Harry Finch made his first century on Australian soil.
Finch, an all-rounder who plays with Sussex in English county cricket, carved out an even 100 to lead the Eagles to 8-279 against Ivanhoe away at Ivanhoe Park on Saturday.
The one-time England under-19 player batted at first drop and featured in a 71-run second-wicket partnership with Brad Jones (37) and a 75-run third wicket stand with David Wolfe (38) to push the Eagles’ score to 3-168.
Finch stuck around the middle order a while longer and left the crease with his side holding the whip hand at 5-223.
The Eagles’ lower order fired to add an extra 50 runs with Patrick Prestidge the standout with 27. They are the undoubted favourite heading into day two with strugglers Ivanhoe yet to score over 200 with the bat this season.
Williamstown has laid solid foundations on day one against Coburg at the Williamstown Cricket Ground.
The Seagulls restricted the Burgers to just 161 in 79.5 overs – a slow run rate of just 2.02 an over.
Mathew Inness left a trail of destruction with 4-23 from 10 overs in his first bowling performance since round one. Craig Sheedy (2-37 off 21) and Nathan Bratby (2-61 off 25.5) were the Gulls’ other multiple wicket takers.
Bratby took the belated wicket of David Kinsella on the second-last ball of the day. Kinsella held his concentration to make 68 off 246 balls in 244 minutes while the wickets tumbled around him.
The Seagulls are 1-5 in reply.
Altona should complete its mission on the road against bottom-of-the-ladder Balwyn after posting 265 at Balwyn Park.
James Grubb (81) and Josh Young (77) put the A’s in a position of dominance entering the second day.
While the firsts were impressive, it was the bizarre circumstances at the A’s’ fourth XI game that had tongues wagging on Saturday night.
What are the odds of two Balwyn bowlers – Julian Kerr-Lawley and Michael Letcher – taking hat-tricks in the one innings? Well, it happened, but the A’s still managed to post 230 to remain in the hunt for victory.
In the VTCA, Yarraville Club has leapt into the senior division top four after showing McKinnon no mercy in a 159-run victory at Hansen Reserve on Saturday.
The Clubbers were already in a powerful position after making 5-319 and their bowlers joined the party to dismiss the visitors for 160.
Man-of-the-match Konrad Kurta (3-57), who made 83 with the bat on day one, was one of three bowlers to snare three wickets for the Clubbers, along with Andrew Cullen (3-41) and Matthew Murphy (3-18).
The Clubbers will host ladder leader Beaumaris in a tasty round five two-dayer at Hansen Reserve starting on Saturday.
In the WDCA, Williamstown Colts made it four wins out of five in the A-turf when they downed local rival Gellibrand by 99 runs on first innings at Digman Reserve. The Colts were denied a chance to go top due to Melton Centrals claiming a bonus four points with an outright win over Caroline Springs, moving them to the head of the ladder.
Lance Jenkinson
