By Ewen McRae
Keilor and St Albans were both forced to chase leather on Saturday as the runs flowed in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association senior division.
For Keilor, it ran head-on into a rampant Yarraville Club, with the reigning premiers flexing their muscle and riding the back of a pair of middle order centuries to finish on 5-364 at stumps.
The day started well for Keilor, with Tawalampolage Darshanapriya getting an early wicket and the bowlers building pressure well, but a boundary-laden 53 from Konrad Kurta turned the game towards the Clubbers and their middle order capitalised.
Andrew Cullen and Justin Baker were the standouts for the day, with their 189-run partnership breaking the game open and making life difficult for the home side.
Kaushal Lokuarachchi eventually trapped Cullen in front just after he reached triple figures, while Baker was run out for 122 late in the day, but the damage had been done.
Lokuarachchi (2-114 off 26 overs) toiled hard all day, but the day belonged to the batsmen.
St Albans did not fare much better in its clash with Seddon, with the decision to send the hosts in on their own deck backfiring.
Like Keilor, St Albans was able to get an early wicket when Billy Whitford bowled Arkii Van Wills, but it was the other opener Damith Priyadarshana who proved far harder to dislodge.
He nearly batted through the day as he registered his highest score, with the tireless Simon Lambert eventually dismissing him on 186.
Lambert bowled almost every over from one end on the day as he finished with 3-110 off 34 overs.
Whitford (2-79) and Tom Langley-Dunn (2-53) also chipped in throughout the day, but Seddon got to stumps on 8-348 to set up a big chase this weekend.
In division one north, PEGS has claimed first innings points in its clash with Royal Park-Brunswick and will look to press home the advantage this weekend.
After the bowlers rolled the visitors for just 124 earlier in the day, Kristian Dixon (66 not out) and Anthony Cristofaro (56 not out) made short work of the chase as they got to stumps on 2-141 off just 31 overs.
Keilor Park had a nightmare finish to its match with St Francis De Sales, losing a late wicket after the visitors declared on 3-296.
It will resume the chase this week on 1-3.
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