Harper Sercombe
Taylors Lakes is in a winning position against Kew at the end of day one of the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association north-west clash.
The Lions made the decision to have a bowl first, which paid dividends for the club, dismissing Kew for just 124.
Kew, which sat in second position at the beginning of the round, only lasted 49.3 overs on Saturday.
Taylors Lakes’ George Pritchard had his best bowling figures of the season taking 4-26. Captain-coach Aamir Raza also continued to take wickets, collecting 3-19, taking his season tally to 18 wickets.
“If you win the toss and bowl first I don’t think you plan to spend eighty overs in the field,” Raza said.
“So if you do win the toss and bowl first your job is to bowl the other team out. So that was our aim and that’s what we did in the end.
“It showed his (Pritchard) value, he’s settled in now. With the red ball we could be very boring and just bash away but we didn’t and we reaped the rewards yesterday.”
After dismissing Kew, Taylors Lakes went in to bat. The Lions lost a couple of wickets but will continue at 2-28 on Saturday, needing 97 runs to win.
“It’s probably the worst 20 overs to ever bat. In the end it was 23 overs,” Raza said.
“If you were offered at the beginning of the day to bowl them out for 124 when they are sitting second on the ladder and then be two for 28, I think it was a good day for us.
“It’s only half the job, there’s no point of yesterday being a good day if next week is going to be a bad day. We told the boys it’s only half the job done and we have to complete the job next week.
“If we bat time, and spend time out there and runs will come and we will score the runs and that will win us the game in the end.”
Raza said if his side was able to claim a victory on Saturday it would fill them with plenty of confidence heading into the final few rounds where every result will be crucial.
Just 13 points separates second placed Kew and the Lions, who are in ninth spot.
“It doesn’t matter if you win last week, you’ve got to keep winning,” he said.
“Now we’re worried about Tuesday in the T20 against Spotswood in the quarter final and then we’re going back to focusing on Saturday.”
Harper Sercombe
