Coach seeks positive response in chase

BARWON Heads is set to be aggressive in its pursuit of the 116 runs needed for victory on day two of the clash against Winchelsea tomorrow.

After failing to chase down 100 runs in last season’s Agrade grand final, Barwon Heads will be looking to prove lessons have been learned and will this week focus on taking a more attacking approach into its chase of the 145-run target.

“There’s no point batting all day to try to scratch out another 110 runs, we need to be positive and, not get them as quick as we can but not scratch around like we did last year in the grand final, so we need to keep very positive about it and keep the score turning over basically,” coach Ashley Muir said.

Sitting at 2-29 after losing openers Sam Herbison and Matthew High late on the first day, Muir believes a successful chase could come down to one crucial partnership.

“I think if we have one good partnership . . . I’d hope that would be it — I’d hope,” he said.

“I think they had one pretty good partnership and it got them to 140, so we need to have some partnerships, which is key to all games I suppose.”

Despite admitting to having some nerves before Saturday’s clash, Muir said he was pleased with the side’s performance with the ball, with bowlers Patrick Lowery and captain Sam Schaller doing most of the damage to claim 5-42 and 4-19.

“Yeah we’re pretty pleased . . . I think we had them 6-60 or 70 at one stage and they got away, which I suppose most games there’s always a partnership of some description but we stuck to our task and (to hold Winchelsea to) 140 was reasonably pleasing,” he said.

Batsmen Lachlan Campbell (six runs) and Ryan Binder (two) are set to resume the chase for Barwon Heads at RT Fuller Oval.