Kealba–Green Gully made the ideal start to the north-west Metro Cricket Association season on Saturday, beating Buckley Park by 10 runs in the George Luscombe Shield.
Kealba batted first and made a shaky start, losing openers Andrew Lambropolous (0) and Michael West (1) to be 2/15 before skipper Evan Long (17) and Matthew Nadzielski (26) put on 53 for the third wicket.
But Kealba collapsed after Nadzielski was caught, with keeper Dave Rogowski (19 not out) the only other batsman to offer resistance in a total of 9/129 from 40 overs.
Long was the man with the ball in Buckley Park’s innings, taking an economical 4/19 from his eight overs.
Danny Viani (3/26), Divesh Kumar (1/6) and Nadzielski (1/16) also snared wickets to bowl Buckley Park out for 119 to secure the six points.
Sydenham-Hillside also got six points against Strathmore Heights, thanks largely to terrific bowling.
Batting first, Sydenham was bowled out for just 112 in 38.1 overs, with Peter Bailey’s 26 the top score as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Sydenham needed only 26.4 overs to bowl out their opponents for 97, Alex Hassett the chief destroyer with 4/27. Malshan Gunasinghe took 3/12.
Kealba-Green Gully, the reigning premier, is away to Sydenham-Hillside in another one-day game on Saturday.
Kealba has fewer sides to deal with this NWMCA season, with only seven teams in the George Luscombe Shield, creating a bye each weekend.
Aberfeldie St Johns and Roxburgh Park Broadmeadows are no longer in the competition, while Clarkefield Brumbies have joined. \
Daniel paproth
