ALTONA ushered in a new era with a hard-fought six-wicket win over local rivals Williamstown in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association on Saturday.
The A’s spoiled the Seagulls’ coming-home party at the revamped Williamstown Cricket Ground as their new-look side hit all the right notes on opening weekend.
A’s captain John Varchione told the Weekly his team was a mere shell of the side that made it to last year’s finals.
“It was good to get a win first up with pretty much a new team,” he said. “We only had four players from the last game of last year.
“We lost our opening bowler [Gayan Fernando], who went back to Sri Lanka, Gordy MacFarlane retired, a couple of the kids went on to try district cricket and a couple of the older ones have stepped down to lower grades.
“It’s a much younger side. We actually had four kids under 18.”
Williamstown had to wait to show off prized recruits Mathew Inness and Cain Speakman.
Inness, a long-time star in first-class ranks with Victoria and WA, and Speakman, a quality opening bowler in the subbies, saw their captain Craig Sheedy lose the toss and have to bat.
The Seagulls made a flying start, racing to 30 at a run a ball with opener Nathan Hall (42) not afraid to take it to the A’s bowlers.
The dismissal of his opening partner and anchor Grant Sandars for 10 settled the A’s’ nerves.
“They were 30 off about five overs and it was looking a bit dangerous,” Varchione said. “We managed to pull them back.”
Lee Elmore not only claimed the prized scalp of Sheedy for five, but also slowed the run rate, the all-rounder finishing with 2-17 off nine tight overs. “His spells were important because he tied them up,” Varchione said. “We didn’t bowl good enough early, but obviously when ‘Leroy’ came on, it changed the game a bit.”
It was the A’s’ new spin twins, Aaron Maynard and debutant Stefan Sidari, who stopped the Seagulls’ momentum.
Maynard got through his nine overs for a return of 1-15, while left-arm offie Sidari was the surprise packet with 2-21 off nine.
The Seagulls got to 8-151 after their allotted 45 overs, with Graham Murdoch (35 not out) and Brenton Hodges (25) providing valuable late runs.
The A’s would have been anticipating a successful run chase, but with just four runs on the board after nine overs, there must have been reservations in the dressing room.
The reason for the slow start was the Seagulls’ lethal new-ball pairing of Inness and Speakman.
The A’s, through Varchione and Adam Brown, weathered the early storm. “It was a matter of getting through the opening pair,” Varchione said. The A’s powered to 86 before the loss of their first wicket and it triggered a mini-collapse.
Brown was first to go after a patient 41, Maynard came and went for a duck, and Varchione was Inness’s third victim in succession for 38. But whatever life the Seagulls gleaned from their purple patch was snuffed out by a 43-run fourth-wicket partnership between the A’s’ English import Josh Wells (33) and man of the match Elmore (30 not out).
VSDCA
Firsts: Yarraville 3-176 (Yates 82 no) d Moorabbin 172 (Walstab 64); Altona 4-155 d Williamstown 8-151
Seconds: Moorabbin 2-147 d Yarraville 142; Altona 2-159 d Williamstown 7-157
Thirds: Williamstown 6-207 (Bratby 97) d Altona 9-152; Yarraville 8-164 d Ivanhoe 9-160
Fourths: Williamstown 2-118 d Altona 113; Yarraville 5-142 d Ivanhoe 139
