FORD GETS THE BREAK
ST Peter’s captain Billy Ford says his team’s 37-run victory over Highton on Saturday could be the win that helps shape its finals chances this season.
The Saints batted first at McDonald Reserve and had set themselves to score somewhere in the vicinity of 250, but readjusted their target after being 2-70 at drinks.
A solid 51-run stand between Hayden Illingworth (51) and Shane Fowles (24) was crucial in St Peter’s reaching 197, which ultimately proved a bridge too far for the Heat to chase down.
The win propelled St Peter’s into the four, leap-frogging Highton in the process, and Ford said it could be just what his side needed in the run home to finals.
“Obviously it is such a tight competition, which is a good thing, because anything can happen on any week,” he said.
“But if we can keep winning them, it is going to go a long way because a lot of the top sides play each other in the next few weeks.
“So we have to win these close ones and then snag a couple at the top.
Marshall was in the top four before Christmas and now they have dropped down so it can all change pretty quickly.”
Highton was tracking well in its chase, reaching 3-113 before Ford brought himself on to bowl to change things up.
It was a stroke of genius from the Saints skipper, who finished with 4-25, but he said he was confident the momentum would shift once the breakthrough came.
“We bowled 21 wides, so we bowled an extra 3½ overs at them, which helped their cause a lot,” Ford said.
“We fielded really well, though, even though we weren’t bowling well, but we got that one wicket and then got on a roll.
“They were batting one down as well, so we only had to get nine wickets, so we just had to stick to the plans and not panic and the rewards came in the end.”
St Peter’s will now host cellar dweller Manifold Heights on Saturday while Highton travels to Torquay to take on the second-placed Tigers at Spring Creek Reserve.