SUNSHINE United has pulled off an impressive 30-run victory over title contenders Westmeadows in the Victorian Turf Cricket Association north division.
The Tigers' survival instincts came to the fore at Selwyn Park on Saturday as they successfully defended the 204-run target set on day one after half centuries to Daniel Pace (79) and Craig Williams (50).
The Tigers spread the workload with the ball on the second day with new ball duo of Tim McGrath (2-22 off 15 overs) and Gareth Stevens (2-43 off 12.4) undoubtedly setting the tone in the early overs.
Veteran Bill Blair finished with 3-44 off 17 overs, while Vijay Jassi took 2-29 off 12.
The Tigers will face Footscray United in an all-western suburbs bout at Scovell Reserve during the next two Saturdays.
Sunshine Druids have landed a position in the top four after cruising to first innings points over Altona North at Crofts Reserve.
The Druids required just 20 runs with seven wickets in hand when play resumed at Blackshaws Road and they passed the target with a minimum of fuss.
They built an 82-run lead on the first innings and pressed for an outright that never came.
North batted out the remainder of the day to make 8-237 off the last 51 overs.
Keilor remains top of the charts after a 151-run trouncing of arch-rivals Old Essendon Grammarians at Keilor Recreation Reserve.
In north A1, St Albans missed two chances in a single day to move to the summit after losing narrowly to Laverton by nine runs on first innings and failing to inflict an outright result.
Defending 86, the Saints did their utmost to make the chase uncomfortable for the Magpies, but the hosts managed to reach the total nine down.
The Saints went in search for quick runs for an unlikely outright result and posted 7-153dec in 46 overs.
That left 25 overs for the Saints to take 10 wickets.
They almost produced a miracle, having the Magpies 8-68 at the close of play with star paceman Darren Clutton claiming 7-29.
Sunshine is behind the eight ball in its Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association bout with Preston.
The Crows were rolled for 130 and the Bullants had already made 2-49 when the bails came off on day one.
VTCA SCOREBOARD
North division: Altona North 90 (Andrews 6-16 Roach 4-24) and 8-237 lt Sunshine Druids 172; Keilor 6-276dec (Hussain 122 Law 113) and 4-143 d Old Essendon Grammarians 128; Sunshine United 9-203 Pace 79 Williams 50) and 1-52 (Jassi 30no) d Westmeadows 173 (Blair 3-44 McGrath 2-22 Jassi 2-29 Stevens 2-43).
North A1: St Albans 86 and 7-153dec (Harman 46 Langley-Dunn 37 Jaeger 32) lt Laverton 95 (Pizaro 4-16 Clutton 2-14) and 8-68 (Clutton 7-29).
West B1: Sunshine YCW 91 (Wilson 26) and 82 (Slopak 36) lt Barkley Street Uniting 134 (Schwartz 7-44 Grainger 3-46) and 5-40); Sunshine Heights 84 (Ramsay 49 Draper 5-30 Armstrong 3-9 Dorricott 2-1) and 109 (Fazio 36 Pipczak 4-29 Buttigieg 3-18 Draper 2-21) lt St Andrews 285 (Jake Buttigieg 82no Hodgart 73 John Buttigieg 46 Armstrong 25 Singh 3-80 Gatt 2-43 Charlton 2-45).
VSDCA: Firsts: Preston 2-49 v Sunshine 130.
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