Tigers remain on top of one-day ladder after win over Bulldogs
The Monash Tigers remain at the top of the Bartercard Victorian Premier League one-day ladder following their 63-run win over Footscray-Edgewater in round twelve at the Merv Hughes Oval. Monash reached a modest total of 211 from their fifty overs before dismissing the Bulldogs for just 148 in the 43rd over.
The game was evenly poised midway through the Bulldogs innings at 3-95 but when Travis Dean (above), who had been looking good, hit one straight to Andrew Chalkley at cover off Samuel Kerber, it triggered a collapse in which they lost their last seven wickets for just 43 runs.
Earlier Tigers captain-coach, Alan Wise, won the toss and elected to bat on what appeared a flat wicket in fine conditions. They made the start he was hoping for with openers Dan Sartori and Will Sheridan compiling a 118-run partnership before Sartori holed out to Kelly off Guy Walker for 61.
Sheridan soon followed caught again trying to lift the tempo this time off Jake Haberfield for 58 when the score was 124. Keeper Jack Harper (27) and Dominic Matarazzo (20) added 45 for the fifth wicket but wickets fell regularly either side of that.
The Bulldogs would have been well pleased with their bowler’s efforts with the final total of 211 perhaps thirty odd runs short of what the Tigers would have liked on the wicket. Footscray-Edgewater bowlers shared the scalps around with Walker 2-36 from eight and Benjamin Green 2-37 from ten the only ones to gain multiple wickets.
As they moved in for the fifth over the road at Flemington, Tiger’s paceman Will Sheridan removed Bulldogs opener and skipper, Dean Russ (3), with his first ball of the second over with the score on five. Former Cat, James Crosthwaite and Dean (30) then recovered to move the score to 41 before Crosthwaite (23) was adjudged lbw to Matarazzo in a decision that clearly he didn’t approve of as he walked from the field.
Wicketkeeper Dylan Kight went cheaply trapped in front again this time to Sean Griffin for three and all of a sudden 211 was looking okay. Dean was joined by Anthony Barton and the pair took the score to 95 before the important wicket of Dean fell to Kerber.
Barton (29) went soon after, caught behind by Harper off Aaron O’Brien and from there on it was all downhill for the home side. Green chipped in with 22 but there was little support elsewhere.
Seven bowlers took wickets for the Tigers with O’Brien the only to take more than one finishing with the figures of 2-32 from ten overs to go with his 20no in the Tigers innings. The Tigers remain at the top of the one-day competition ladder and now sit fourth on the season ladder overall just four points adrift of top placed Carlton.
The league breaks for the Christmas period and returns with two-dayers in round thirteen on January ten where Monash will be home to Melbourne in a 4v5 battle while Footscray-Edgewater are away to Melbourne University in a game they probably need to win to keep in touch with the top eight.