The results are starting to go Craigieburn’s way in Victorian Turf Cricket Association north-west.
Promoted during the off-season, the Eagles had been in all their matches but one before Christmas, but had struggled to get the results.
A win in November and one in the first round back after Christmas were big confidence boosters for the side.
Eagles playing coach Chris Laffan said having a more settled side had helped them feel more at home in the higher division.
“It’s made a difference having our best XI,” he said. “We knocked off Aberfeldie before Christmas and knocked off Druids last round, and both are finals contenders.
“It was about getting the first couple of wins, feeling more secure in the division and then playing more of our game.
“We are an attacking side and we’re playing that way now.”
Backing up the performance against Druids in the previous round, the Eagles secured first-innings points against PEGS on day one on Saturday.
The Eagles’ bowlers had a day out, dismissing PEGS for just 56.
Laffan said it wasn’t looking that way early in the innings.
He said that when PEGS were 0-26, he and captain Sammy Laffan were thinking it was a good day to bat first.
“We then got 10-30,” he said. “Mick Bury, Josh Eaton and Daniel English got three wickets each.”
Laffan said the inclusion of Eaton, who joined the club early in the season, had given the side a much-needed third strike bowler.
“It means you can keep your foot on the throat for longer during the innings and stop that extra 20 to 30 runs,” he said.
“He’s young, but he’s just as experienced as everyone else.”
With the bowlers having done the job, the Eagles’ batsmen set about getting the runs needed for first-innings points.
With weather affecting several matches already this season, Laffan said getting the points on day one was vital.
The Eagles finished 6-61.
“We lost a couple of wickets in the last couple of overs,” Laffan said. “It would have looked a bit different being four wickets down.
He said the side would love to grab an outright victory.
“We’ve got an attacking group and we want to keep the momentum going,” he said.
An outright win would move the ninth-placed Eagles even further ahead of bottom side Laverton. The Eagles are currently five and half points clear of bottom place.
In north-west A1, Westmeadows skipper Tarek Moughanie made 152 not out in his side’s 3-276 against Footscray United.
The Warriors were well in control at stumps, having United 8-77.
In senior division, Greenvale Kangaroos are in a good position against Tullamarine to get their first win of the season.
The Kangaroos bowled the Demons out for 116 and were 1-19 at stumps.
