After a bumpy start, Melton found its groove with the bat to seal its second win of the Victorian Sub-district Cricket Association north-west season.
With day one a day for the bowlers, the Lions batsmen had to get stuck in against Werribee to ensure a win at MacPherson Park.
Resuming at 2-20, needing 114 for the win, the Lions got off to the worst start, losing the overnight batsmen Dylan Clarke and David Kirk cheaply to be in trouble at 4-32.
The Lions regrouped and the middle and late order got them to the target eight wickets down. The Lions batted on, before being bowled out for 155.
Lions coach Nathan Geisler said they can’t complain about the result, even if it wasn’t smooth sailing.
“We limped there,” he said.
“It’s always hard chasing small totals and you can sometimes over-think it. Nathan Taylor and Jake Thorton-Gielen batted soundly.
“Nathan has been fantastic since coming to the club and led from the front and Jake batted responsibly.
“They got us close to the target and Jonesy [Brad Jones] hit a few boundaries to get the job done.”
Taylor top-scored with 37, while Thorton-Gielen made 32 and Ash Sweet scored 30.
Happy to call the match off then and there with the win secured, the two teams had to continue playing as per competition rules.
Werribee finished 1-44 off 20 overs. Jake Charge took the wicket for the Lions.
The Lions used the opportunity to try some different things.
“We were happy to call it off,” Geisler said.
“A couple of other guys got to roll the arm over. Nathan Taylor bowled four or five overs. He had been bowling in the nets.”
The win means a perfect start to the season for the Lions, who are one of five teams in their division to win both matches.
Knowing they were playing two quality sides, the Lions are more than happy with their start.
They now turn their attention to the T20 format for next round, taking on Taylors Lakes at Lionheart Reserve.
Geisler said it would be a challenge.
“We struggled in T20 matches the last season,” he said.
“It’s an interesting one and we’ll look to our squad and put out our best T20 team.
“Hopefully we can go 3-0. It’s a hard format and we’ve just got to pick the best team, I’m not sure the team will change too much.”
In Women’s Victorian Premier Cricket seconds, Melton suffered a big loss to Carlton-Brunswick.
The Lions managed just 118 before being bowled out in the 26th over.
Carlton-Brunswick made the runs in the 33rd over, finishing 6-119. The Lions sit fourth with a 1-2 record.
