Airport West pair Ben Walkden, Joel Brett star in stunning upset over Deer Park
It could be the upset of the VTCA season and two of Airport West St Christophers’ recruits played a key role in knocking off Deer Park.
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The anchor and the demolition man, Airport West St Christophers’ two recruits have already proved their match-winning ability.
Ben Walkden and Joel Brett played major roles as the Saints knocked off reigning VTCA Senior Division premier Deer Park on Saturday.
UK import Walkden, scored an ultra-patient 96 from 244 deliveries before taking 5-31 in a man-of-the-match performance.
Meanwhile, Brett, in his second match of the season smashed a stunning 115 from 129 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and four sixes.
It saw Airport West St Christophers, the reigning Division 1 premier itself, post 272 at John McLeod Reserve before rolling through the Lions’ vaunted batting order for 192, securing a 80-run victory.
Walkden has made an instant impact, taking 11 wickets at 16.82 and scoring 169 runs at 56.33.
Captain Jordan Kelly said he was excited to see what more he could achieve this season.
“Ben’s come in, it’s taken him some time to adjust with the bat, but he’s found his role,” Kelly said.
“He’s become the anchor for the side, while other guys did the damage, and I’m excited to see what else he had – I’m sure there’s another one or two gears.
“His bowling has been top class all year, he’s consistently taking wickets and not going for much, so he’s also the anchor with the ball.
“He was flat when he came off (out for 96), he spent 70 overs out in the middle.
“We got around him and he knows he had an important role in the win.”
Brett has come across from Premier club Footscray, where he played Second XI.
Saturday’s match was just his second senior outing for the Saints and first bat in more than 12 months.
It didn’t seem to phase him as he plundered Deer Park’s fearsome attack.
Walking to the crease at 3-51, he then walked off with his team 4-235, having made a blistering century and 184-run partnership with Walkden.
“Joel’s come over from Footscray – he broke his hand so he missed most of last season – and he was in Europe early in the season,” Kelly said.
“He’s the final piece for our side.
“It was pretty impressive considering we were 3-50 when he went in in the first 20 overs.
“He could have been quite defensive or you can do what he did and, pretty much from the first ball, he took them on and it just didn’t stop.
“That’s his first hit in about 12 months, he had a T20 hit and hit his first ball for six, but he’s smart as well – he was very selective.”
With the ball, former Coburg spinner Akshpreet Singh (3-49) dismissed both his former Lions teammates, Aaron Shellie and Aaron Ayre, while Sachin Awishka (2-32) got the critical wickets of Daniel Sartori and Dean Russ.
Walkden removed opener Hashan Wanasekara, Mohammed Alfar and cleaned up the tail to secure his first five-wicket haul for the club.
The victory sees Airport West St Christophers sit fourth with one game remaining before the Christmas break.
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Kelly has been rapt with the first half of the season.
“We’re aiming for that fourth spot and, to be honest, we could be higher,” he said.
“A couple of washouts cost us and a slip-up against Aberfeldie.
“But at the start of the season if you’d told me we’d be fourth heading into Christmas I’d take that every day of the week.”
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