ROOS FIND RHYTHM
REIGNING premier Anglesea gained some valuable batting time out in the middle during its comfortable victory over Ocean Grove on Saturday.
After play resumed with Anglesea at 1-34, the Roos ensured the result was never in doubt, safely reaching the 159 runs required before batting on to finish 7-221 (dec) after 67 overs.
Ned Cooper added 33 runs to his previous week’s tally to notch his second half-century of the season before Tyler Dittloff and coach Dale Kerr both reached their half-centuries to cap off a win filled with all-round batting contributions.
Kerr commended the matchwinning innings from his partner Dittloff, describing it as his “best innings” at the club despite scores of 101 and 91 last season.
“It was probably his best innings at our club. Just really consolidated, took his time at the start and then once we got on top of the bowlers a little bit he made his mark,” Kerr said.
Dittloff was caught by Michael Thornton off Thomas Kent for 55, just before his side passed the Grubbers’ total, but the middle-order batsman’s job was done.
Kerr and Brett Venables, who chipped in with a handy 17, batted past the total and then used the remaining time to gain some batting rhythm out in the middle.
“We weren’t going really fast or really slow, we were just taking our time,” Kerr said.
“It was just about building little partnerships … everyone contributed with the bat and it’s obviously quality time out in the middle, especially once you’ve past them you can really take your time and it can be the best time to practice.”
Kerr was dismissed by Tom Kent for 60 with Anglesea 7-221 before the coach called stumps, pleased with victory on a day where the competition’s ladder tightened right up. Previously, Anglesea’s highest score of the season came in Round 1 — its last win before Saturday — and Kerr admitted his side welcomed the two-day fixtures after a lacklustre one-day campaign.
“We hadn’t adapted to the one-dayers as well as we would have liked, but we’ve been doing a bit of training, especially with the first and second XI, to really work on it,” he said.
The win has put Anglesea on the verge of the top four, while Ocean Grove’s perfect record to the start the season was undone.