Aberfeldie makes winning return to Clifton Park against St Alban’s

Forced to spend the entire 2020-21 season on the road, Aberfeldie celebrated its return to Clifton Park in style as its Premier recruits dominated.

Sohan Boralessa in action for Aberfeldie. Picture: Julian Smith

Aberfeldie celebrated it’s return to Clifton Park with a rousing win over last season’s VTCA Senior Division minor premier St Albans on Saturday.

Forced to spend the entire campaign on the road last season due to oval redevelopments, Abers claimed a seven-wicket win in their first home game since the Division 1 West grand final in March, 2020.

The club’s trio of Premier Cricket recruits – Zach Mevissen, Jordan Kight and Shaifi Moazzem – played critical roles in the win.

Mevissen was dynamic with the ball, taking match-best figures of 4-32, Kight scored 19 and Moazzem starred, hitting a 65-ball 63 as Aberfeldie chased down St Alban’s 9-180 with three overs to spare.

Tallan Wright guided the team home with an unbeaten 58 in his first game as captain and was rapt with the win.

Craig Sheedy appeals for a wicket.

“Getting back home where we’ve got home ground advantage, we know how to play the pitch, seeing some familiar faces, there was a different feeling around the group,” he said.

“We were a couple of top-end players short (last season), we knew that and we couldn’t play at home, Clifton Park has been a big advantage over the past couple of years.

“We’re extremely confident that last year was a bump in the road and this year will be completely different.”

Mevissen didn’t waste any time making his mark, knocking over St Alban’s opener Simon Lambert for a duck in the second over.

However, fellow opener Brenton Cook (45) and Arosh Janoda (51) rebuilt the Saints’ innings and 9-180 looked a par score on the new wicket.

Tom Godsell (2-34) got the key wicket of Cook, Craig Sheedy picked up 2-30 and Moazzem run out the dangerous Geeth Alwis for 10.

“Zac, coming back from a stint at Melbourne, just showed his class,” Wright said.

“Pace off seemed to work a little bit more and he identified that pretty quick, his second spell was basically all slower balls, which were really hard to hit.

New Aberfeldie captain Tallan Wright. Picture: Hamish Blair

“They got off to a good start but we were able to peg them back, Zac and Sohan (Boralessa) were the leaders in the area, and we thought 180 was par on that pitch.

Aberfeldie were under immediate pressure when Cameron West for a second-ball duck, lbw to Shanaka Silva.

However, Moazzem was a rock at the top of the order.

The former Footscray batsman combined with Wright for a 75-run third-wicket partnership to put Abers in the box seat.

He fell with 52 runs to get but Wright teamed up with evergreen Sheedy (27 not out) to finish the job.

“Shaifi was going at a run-a-ball and as long as he was there we felt comfortable,” Wright said.

“He made my job a lot easier, I was able to get set, and I just got down the other end and let him keep going. He set the game up beautifully.

21-22: WHO WINS WIDE OPEN VTCA SENIOR DIVISION?

LEADER: GET YOUR LOCAL CRICKET NEWS HERE

21-22: NEW CLUBS TO CHALLENGE GDCA HEAVYWEIGHTS

“Then (Simon) Lambert came on, he’s a part-time offie bowling into a stiff breeze with the field up, and Sheeds was smart enough to pick him as the one to go after and we got him for 11 or 12 that over.

“It left us with nine runs off five overs or something like that and it broke the game open.”

Aberfeldie heads to Doutta Stars next week with the Stars coming off a 153-run hiding from Druids.

Elsewhere, Keilor (8-166) proved too good for Westmeadows (123), Yarraville Club (6-187) defeated premier Sunshine United (98) and Haig Fawkner (5-149) picked up a road win over Craigieburn (7-147)