SUNSHINE Druids’ quest for a winning start to the Victorian Turf Cricket Association north division season was derailed by an untimely batting collapse.
The home side’s brittle middle order shouldered the blame for a disappointing 47-run loss to newly-promoted Laverton at Shorten Reserve on Saturday.
The Druids had every right to go into the second day with a fair amount of confidence.
They bowled the visitors out for 197 and had already picked 52 for the loss of one wicket late on day one.
The second day did not exactly go to plan as their smooth-sailing top order was replaced by a rocky middle line-up.
“We got off to a flyer,” Druids skipper Jared Andrews told the Weekly.
“Then we had a middle order collapse which didn’t help.
“We lost five wickets for about 20 runs.”
Leigh Wilson was the mainstay of the innings with 58 from the openers position.
Wilson showed his captain that he wants to make the top of the order his own with some well-timed cut shots and confident drives.
“I’ve given him the opportunity to open the batting for us and he’s jumped on it,” Andrews said.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Damitha Hunukumbura was effortless in his shot making.
The elegant left-hander cruised to 24 before cutting a full toss straight to the point fielder.
Andrews is confident his Sri Lankan import will have the scoreboard ticking over this season.
“He scores with such ease,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to watching him this year.”
The Druids’ only resistance when the wickets were tumbling in the middle order was 16-year-old Andrew Brennan. The young gun was cool in a crisis when his more experienced teammates became unsettled.
“He’s got fantastic technique and a great temperament,” Andrews said.
“When we went through that collapse, Andrew was the one that was standing out from it and still holding his bat.”
The Druids’ chase fell well short, all out for 149 in 54 overs.
Andrews pointed to a couple of dropped catches on day one and the collapse as the only negatives in the match for his rebuilding side.
“I’m pretty positive about the game,” he said.
“We’ve got a new group and we’re still gelling as a team and getting to know how one another plays.”
The biggest positive for the Druids was leg-spinner Shanaka Silva.
The new recruit took four wickets in the first innings and a further two in the second.
A mix of well flighted deliveries to go with quicker flatter ones made him hard to read for the batsmen.
Silva is expected to form a lethal spin pairing with Scottish import Graeme Tomlinson.
“I’ve got some good slow bowling options up my sleeve, which is good,” Andrews said.
SCOREBOARD
Senior division: Hoppers Crossing 121 (Mohamed 4-17) and 7-71 d Keilor 65 and 147 (Willmott 38 Hutchinson 32)
North division: Sunshine Druids 149 (Wilson 58) lt Laverton 196 and 9-149 (Silva 4-46)
North A1: Seddon 9-278 (Glowacki 4-64 Dharmawardane 3-68) and 4-19 d Sunshine United 156 (Pace 78); Taylors Lakes 266 (Markham 87 Sran 67) d Moonee Valley 223 (Wakeling 6-73); St Albans 120 and 8-154dec d Aberfeldie 55 and 3-58
West B1: St Andrews 93 (Rhodes 51) and 7-132dec (Rhodes 33) lt Werribee Centrals 101 (Pipczak 4-17 Hatty 3-24) and 4-90 (Pipczak 3-8); Sunshine YCW 239 d Seabrook 171 (Hussain 4-53) and 0-53; Barkly Street Uniting 183 (Singh 5-33 Godfrey 3-46) lt Sunshine Heights 8-216 (Cupic 87 Mayoum 37).
