By Tara Murray
Deer Park took a risk on day one of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division grand final and it paid off.
Despite warm conditions above 30 degrees, the Lions decided to bowl and send in minor premiers Yarraville Club.
It worked with the Lions on top after day one of the match. Day two on Sunday was washed out.
Lions coach Mick Andriadis said they were happy with the spot they were in after the first weekend of play.
“It was great,” he said. “It was a great start to win the toss and bowl.
“It was a bit risky but it worked out well. We wanted to get 10 wickets and we can now focus on making as many as they have and a little bit more.
“We’ve got that first part out of the way.”
Andriadis said the predicted rain on Sunday had also played into their calculations. They were spot on, with no play.
Day one was a day of momentum swings.
The Lions started well and had the Clubbers in trouble early, after losing three quick wickets.
Viraj Lakshitha and Nandhalal Sangaran provided a Clubbers fight back to get them back on top.
There was one more spin in the tall for the day, with the Lions bowling the Clubbers out for 184 in the 73rd over.
Andriadis said they would have taken that score at the start of the day.
“On a hot day and 30 odd degrees to get three early wickets and Michael Hill being one of them was good,” he said.
“We then looked in a bit of trouble. The partnership they had for the fourth wicket had them on top.”
“Fitzy [Lachlan Fitzgerald] bowled well early, Fawad [Ahmed] at the end and Ange [Angelo Emmanuel] in the middle.
“We’re rapt to start that well in those conditions.”
Fitzgerald took three early wickets, while Ahmed took 5-39.
While the Lions have bought in a number of players in recent seasons, Fitzgerald is one that has gone under the radar.
Andriadis said he’s improved so much since coming back to the club and is one of their strike bowlers.
With day two washed out, the grand final becomes a three-day match with the remaining two days this weekend.
Andriadis said they were confident they could get the runs this weekend and secure back-to-back tiles.
“We’re always confident,” he said. “At the end of the day, we respect Yarraville and they finish on top of the ladder.
“They’ll try and get into our middle order and I think it’ll be a good game. I’m looking forward to next week, and so are the players.”
