Vandals damaged the wicket and part of the outfield at Plenty Valley’s home ground last week, causing the two-day Sub-District cricket north-west match against Roxburgh Park to become a one-dayer.
The outfield at AK Lines Reserve was severely water-damaged in the attack on Friday night, meaning the club had no choice but to cancel the first day’s play on Saturday.
“There was a three-metre-wide river across the ground,” Bats captain Michael Sheedy said.
“They also damaged the wicket. Whoever did it knew what they were doing. It’s an unforeseen circumstance.”
Sheedy said it was the second time a Sub-District ground had been damaged in recent weeks, and police were investigating.
He said the ground would be ready to play on by Saturday and the club’s women side could also use it on Sunday.
Sheedy said the club would adjust quickly to playing the match as a one-dayer.
“It’s an important clash and we’re a good one-day side,” he said.
“It won’t change our style of play. We have set game plans for our two-day matches, one-day matches and T20 games.”
While the Bats didn’t get on the field on Saturday, they had a first-up win in the Sub-District T20 competition, Lorenzo Ingram making sure they started the competition with a bang on Tuesday night.
Batting number three, Ingram smashed 87 as the Bats beat Preston in the competition’s north group.
He was well supported by Matt Hunter, unbeaten on 43.
Preston could make only 7-130 in reply,
“We were as clinical as we could be,” Sheedy said.
“Our batsmen batted well and we bounced back from our disappointing performance against Altona.
“The top order got the job done. We knew we had an inexperienced bowling line up.”
Among the line-up was 14-year-old Tane Cotter. “The under-21 ruling for the competition is a good thing in the T20,” Sheedy said.
“We played Tane and Nishal Perera, from Essendon, who was also in our side as our guest player.
“It’s good to mix a 14-year-old kid and someone who was in the Premier Cricket grand final last year.”
Sheedy said former Bats player Ben Rolfs would be the club’s guest player in round two of the competition.
Roxburgh Park lost its opening match of the T20 competition to Williamstown, Park’s total of 8-117 being chased down with one ball remaining.
