A once in a lifetime performance from Saman Kumara Muthuwadige got Melton South Royals off to the perfect start in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association Evans-Clark Shield on Saturday.
Making his debut for the Royals, Muthuwadige finished day one of the two-day clash with Roxburgh Park with 14 wickets.
Muthuwadige finished with nine wickets in the Falcons first innings and took another five in their second innings.
With three wickets still remaining to be taken on day two his tally could be even bigger.
Royals coach Adam Miller said it’d been a long time since he’d seen a day of cricket like that.
“It was good to get off to a good start and get some points on the board,” he said. “Muthuwadige has 14 wickets and it’s only game one.
“He took 9-5 including a hat-trick and then finished with 5-7 in the second innings. Everything was going right.”
The Royals won the toss on Saturday and decided to have a bowl.
They needed just 13 overs and two bowlers as they rolled through the Falcons for just 18.
The Royals then went in the hunt of quick runs as they tried to claim an outright victory on day one.
They declared at 7-84 with Keshara Lakshan and Joshua Sutton making 22 each.
With a lead of 66, the Royals sent the Falcons back in.
The Falcons will resume at 7-74 with a lead of eight runs.
Miller said it would have been good to get the whole 10 points on day one with a bit of rain forecast for day two.
For the new coach, everything has gone to plan so far.
He said the group has the bigger picture in mind.
“We’ve brought some guys in to try and help us get to finals,” he said. “It’s not so much the performances, it’s getting everyone on the same page.
“The ones and seconds are on the same page and the thirds and fourth XIs are on the same page. We want to build the club to be a successful one.”
As well as bringing in some new recruits, Miller said being able to get the likes of former coach Leigh Edwards back out there had been massive as well.
He said Edwards had been a big help to him in the coaching side of things.
“He picks up things I might miss.”
