Plenty is welcoming the task of chasing a challenging total on day two of the match with Epping in the Diamond Valley Cricket Association’s Barclay Shield.
While Plenty’s finals berth is already secure, the team wants to ensure it goes into the finals firing on all cylinders.
Captain-coach Steve Villani says his side is confident of chasing down Epping’s 205, even though Plenty was 2-13 at stumps.
PICTURE GALLERY: Epping v Plenty
“It’s a good challenge,” he said. “You don’t want to go out in the first week of finals having played a couple of easy games.
“It’s perfect for us and they’ll keep us honest, which is what we want.”
Epping ensured it would make a game of it with crucial partnerships in the middle of the innings on day one of the match on Saturday, opener Anthony Licovski top-scoring with 94.
“We got a couple of early wickets and then they steadied,” Villani said.
“We dropped a few chances and missed a run out. We didn’t field that well or bowl our best, which will happen to every team at some point of the season.”
Plenty’s start to its innings wasn’t what it would have liked, losing both openers quickly, but Villani wasn’t fazed.
“When you face nine overs, like we did, you’ll sometimes lose wickets,” he said.
“It’s an ideal opportunity for our middle order to get some time in the middle. Some of our guys haven’t really had a chance to make runs since Christmas.”
Bundoora will restart its innings at 3-23 against Bundoora United, which made 138 in its innings. Neither side is in the finals mix.
Old Paradians-St Francis’s hopes of a win over Riverside were hurt by the loss of two wickets late in the day.
After restricting Riverside to 189, the Wolves faced 17 overs before stumps and reached 2-17.
In Money Shield, Mernda has already secured first-innings points on the back of centuries to Jordan Dean (104) and Ashley Williams (150).
Mernda is 2-281 after bowling out Lower Plenty for 59.
For more photos, go to www.northern.starweekly.com.au.
