Sunshine United has sent a message to the rest of Victorian Turf cricket’s north west division.
The Tigers belong.
After being promoted last season, Sunshine United easily accounted for Penleigh Essendon Grammar School at the weekend to secure its first win of the new campaign.
The victory came on the back of emphatic performances with both bat and ball, which culminated in a 149-run thrashing for PEGS.
After batting first and making 8-300, the Tigers bowled out PEGS for 151.
United captain Neeten Chouhan said it was vital his side get a win early in the season to prove to themselves and the rest of the competition they are up to the standard.
“We were very happy,” he said.
“The team did exactly what our game plans were and it was great that we were able to work pretty well to that.
“We wanted to put in a good performance so we could judge where we sit in this league.
“Confidence is pretty high after that performance.”
Sunshine United set up the win with the bat on day one, thanks to a complete performance from its top five.
Opening pair Daniel Pace and Daniel Raniolo made light work of the bowling attack, adding 132 for the first wicket.
And when that partnership was broken, Leigh Sheridan, Indika Dharmawardane and Sangaran Nandhalal continued Sunshine United’s progress.
“That’s exactly what we’re looking for from the batting side of things,” Chouhan said.
“We want one of the top four or five to bat at least 80 per cent of the game. We did that and then the rest of the guys were able to form a base. That really set us up to be able to post that score of 300.”
Not to be outdone, the Tigers’ bowlers also enjoyed a day out when play resumed on Saturday.
First-change bowler Nicholas Millar rocketed through the PEGS top order, taking three wickets while the rest of the bowling unit shared the remaining wickets.
After giving up 197 runs in 40 overs in its round one fixture, Chouhan was rapt with the way his bowlers responded.
“I think the consistency was very good,” he said. “It was a lot better than our first game where we were just a bit rusty when it came to bowling six balls on the spot.
“The guys worked hard at training and we really bowled well to our targets. It was great to have that consistency.”
Sunshine United will take on Haig Fawkner this weekend.
