Vic Super Slam: Greenvale shocks Fitzroy Doncaster in opener

GREENVALE Kangaroos held their nerve to launch their Super Slam campaign with a one-run victory over Fitzroy Doncaster on Sunday.

Sunam Gautum topscored in Greenvale Kangaroos’ win over Fitzroy Doncaster.

GREENVALE Kangaroos held their nerve to launch their Super Slam campaign with a thrilling one-run victory over Fitzroy Doncaster on Sunday.

The Lions required four runs off the last ball to snatch victory chasing 8-122, scrambling through for two after Nat Vardi (18 not out) clubbed Simon Branston to long-on.

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“To win by one run against a quality club in Fitzroy Doncaster, they are a really good outfit,” coach Matthew Love said.

“With the bat we were in all sorts of trouble at 4-20 odd and (after) a really good rearguard partnership between Anthony Barton and Sunam we scraped a total of 122, which is competitive.

“The average score in T20s in Premier Cricket is 129, so anything over 120 we were happy with after that start we got.”

And Trent Lawford grabs a fifth wicket as Sidebottom looked to tee off from the penultimate ball of the innings. 5-23 for the @fitzdonc all-rounder

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) November 24, 2018

Trent Lawford (5-24) carved through Greenvale’s top-order, reducing the Roos to 4-25 with an opening spell of 4-18 from three overs.

Sunam Gautam (35) and Barton (25) were the saviours for Greenvale, resurrecting their side's innings with a 50-run partnership.

Their union was ended by a run out, before the Roos lower order scrapped to a target of more than six runs per over.

Fitzroy Doncaster signalled its intentions when Peter Dickson bludgeoned Ryan Sidebottom to the cover boundary on the first ball of its chase.

But Ex-Victorian quick Sidebottom (1-20) and Branston (1-28) reeled the scoring rate in, before left-arm spinner Liam Smith (1-22) piled further pressure on the Lions with an impressive spell.

Kyle Adams (1-24) claimed the crucial wicket of Trent Lawford (22) caught at long on in the 18th over and topscorer Liam Banthorpe (52) was run out by Gautam when Fitzroy Doncaster needed 22 runs from 14 balls.

.@GreenvaleRoosCC win by a run! What a way to start the @VicSuperSlam

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) November 25, 2018

“We just took wickets at the right times, just as they were looking to get away,” Love said.

“To get it down to the last ball and win by one run is just fantastic for the club.”

Branston had 14 runs to play with in the last over and skittled Nick Fletcher (1) first ball.

Vardi kept the Lions alive when he hit the fourth ball of the over for six, but Greenvale prevailed in a tense finish to start the Super Slam in style.

Carlton (3-99) knocked off Essendon (9-93) in the other morning fixture.

Brayden Stepien (44 from 38 balls) and Aaron Smillie (2-14) and Cam Stevenson (2-18) were the matchwinners for the Blues.

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