VSDCA 2019-20: Williamstown scores four-wicket win over Box Hill
Wind and rain lashed Point Gellibrand — as it often does — but Williamstown overcame the terrible conditions to grab victory in the Round 2 VSDCA clash against Box Hill.
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Box Hill captain-coach Ryan Webster described it as “the worst conditions I’ve ever played cricket in”.
Wind and rain blanketed Williamstown Cricket Ground on Saturday.
The start to day two was delayed and there were regular bad-weather intervals, but the Towners prevailed by four wickets in terrible conditions in the Round 2 VSDCA clash.
Set 199, half-centuries from Jarrod Flood-Bauce (69) and Brent McMinn (51) and an unbeaten 39 from James Cook took Williamstown to 6-204.
“The numerous times the fronts came through and saturated the joint, going on and off 15, 20, 25 minutes at a time and coming back out soaking wet, it wasn’t amazing,” Webster said.
“Early on you would think conditions would help us — a bit stop, start, weather not amazing — but in the end, it counted against us a little bit because the wind was so strong the whole day, especially for the blokes bowling into it.
“The heavy downpours put any rhythm we had out and also affected the bowlers holding the ball and the run ups.”
McMinn offered a life when a tough chance went begging in the gully, and another edge fell short of wicketkeeper Tom Newman.
Flood-Bauce helped Williamstown reach 3-113 after a 55-run stand with Patrick O’Malley (18) for the second wicket.
McMinn and Cook then shared a 51-run partnership for the fifth wicket before the home side reached the target in the 63rd over.
“We never gave up, we were always a little sniff every time we got a wicket … obviously it wasn’t easy to bat on either,” Webster said.
“When it got really wet … we probably had to bowl our spin bowlers more often than we would have liked.”
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But Webster said conditions were not to blame for the defeat.
“The 30, 40, 50 runs we left out on the deck last week would have been really handy,” he said.
“It’s a different game if we have 240 on the board rather than 199.”
Box Hill is scheduled to meet Melton away from home in a one-day fixture on Saturday.