Keilor’s premiership assault remains on track after another impressive win in its Victorian Turf Cricket Association match on Saturday.
The Blues were too good for Altona North, controlling all facets of the game to claim their 82-run first innings win.
Having made 225 on day one, Keilor returned to Morris McDonald Oval on Saturday keen to get on top of the Altona North batsmen early.
Despite starts from the home side’s opening pair, Patrick McArdle and Sandeep Mandalika, the Blues eventually took control with a flurry of wickets.
Matt Willmott did the early damage, taking two top-order scalps before Dan Schuppan ripped through the middle order with three of his own.
With the pressure on Altona North, Kaushal Lokuarachchi ensured there would be no lower order fightback, knocking over the tail to seal the win. He finished with figures of 2-14 from seven overs.
The weekend’s win maintains Keilor’s top spot on the VTCA’s north division ladder.
The Blues hold an eight-point lead over the second-placed Doutta Stars and will take on the ninth-placed Sunshine Druids this week.
In other north division results, Keilor Park is still in a strong position to make the finals despite losing to West Coburg on Saturday.
With the two sides occupying third and fourth on the ladder going into the match, a win for the higher-ranked Keilor Park would have given it some all important breathing room in the race to the top four.
But after winning the toss and batting first on day one, Keilor Park was skittled for 107. West Coburg had no trouble reeling in the runs, bringing up the win without losing a wicket. With first innings points secured, West Coburg launched a bid for an outright win, which nearly came unstuck.
In its second innings, Keilor Park made 147, giving it a 101-run lead. In reply, West Coburg was 4-20 at stumps.
Meanwhile, in the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association, Sunshine remains on the bottom of the north-west ladder. The Crows lost to Balwyn by seven wickets in the weekend’s round 10. Sunshine will take on the eighth- placed Ivanhoe this week.
