ALTONA North has a fighting chance in its all-west clash with Footscray United after a late rally from its tail-enders on day one at Crofts Reserve in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association north division on Saturday.
At 7-105, North was battling to build a barely competitive total, but unlikely types Phil Auciello and Sunny Mandalika combined for 70 runs to get the hosts to a defendable 181.
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North skipper Matt Saunders had mixed feelings about the score.
“Being 7-100 odd, we were happy with 181, but at the start of the day we would’ve liked 220,” he told the Weekly.
“Hopefully we can get those extra 40 runs back in the field.”
Auciello was the aggressor of the eighth-wicket partnership.
He made 45, while Mandalika scored a valuable 25.
“They’re not necessarily known batsmen,” Saunders said.
“It’s good to have guys in the lower order putting their hand up and applying themselves out in the middle.”
North made a stuttering start to its innings. Best of the top order was English import Barney Huxtable.
The teenager pointed the way for his more experience teammates with 44.
“He’s a very smart batsman,” Saunders said. “He toughed it out earlier on when the ball was moving around and as it got a little easier, started to play more shots and hitting the ball nice and clean.”
North did not see out the full 80 overs. It left them with 17 overs in the dying embers to make inroads on the 10 wickets needed for victory.
Birthday boy Charlie Guerrera took full advantage with two late wickets, including one off the last ball of the day, to leave United with their worries at 2-19.
“It was exciting,” Saunders said. “If we can snag a few early wickets next week, hopefully we can put them under the pump.”
VTCA RESULTS
Senior division: Yarraville Club 7-306dec (J Baker 98 A Contessa 53 MP O’Keefe 38 A Cullen 30) v McKinnon 2-13; Hoppers Crossing 9-254dec (A Dickinson 4-56 AJ Butler 4-77) v Spotswood 0-6.
North division: Altona North 181 (S Nand 3-32 DC Silva 3-40 T Jeffrey 3-61) v Footscray United 2-19; Westmeadows 2-44 (S Delaney 2-12) v Laverton 109 (B Sheean 27); Tullamarine 290 (A Leetet 5-72 PR Murray 2-45 J Siriwardana 2-73) v Williamstown CYMS 1-3.
North A1: Altona Roosters 114 (D Pham 32no M Nolton 25) v Seddon 6-100 (J Procko 32 H Uppal 3-20).
West B1: Footscray ANA 1-25 v Sunshine YCW 203 (D Veteha 6-56 J Wills 3-19); Kingsville Baptists 1-19 v St Andrews 174 (J Buttigieg 94 J Bartlett 30 RN Khwaja 6-33 S Nguyen 2-26); Avondale Heights 2-102 v Barkly Street Uniting 154.
