DEFIANT lower order batsmen Andrew Warrick and Daniel White effectively spurred Golden Point out of trouble to a victory that reinforced premiership potential.
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Point’s balanced bowling attack shut down Wendouree for a 39-run win in this highly anticipated one-versus-two showdown for Ballarat Cricket Association club firsts on Saturday.
Top ladder spot now belongs to Point which, with one round looming, looks set to keep it.
Point adds the Red Caps to the powerhouse scalps it has claimed this season, namely Mount Clear and Brown Hill.
This latest result, reduced to a one-dayer, only sounds Point’s warning louder.
But Point captain Josh White, sidelined with injury this week, said there was still a long way for his team to go.
“Confidence is pretty high. There’s still improvement to be had but this win was a good thing for us,” White said.
“(Wendouree’s) a good side and there’s going to be times when they are going to be doing better in a match.
“... We definitely needed that partnership (Warrick and White).
“Our bowling was really good. A lot of guys contributed to the team.
“We’ve got an even spread of players.
“Even is what you need to be trying to do if you want to win premierships.”
This game served up serious see-sawing momentum.
The Red Caps had the Pointies in trouble at 7-108, with Point losing the last five of these wickets for a mere 15 runs.
Opener Andrew Falkner made 46 runs but had no support until Warrick put on a match-winning 59-run partnership with Dan White (29 runs) for the eighth wicket. Point was back in the game.
Warrick was Point’s batting hero. He stepped in when Point was falling apart for an unbeaten 54 runs and his first half century this season.
The Red Caps’ reply was stop-start.
Promoted batsman Andrew Pitson was the Red Caps’ standout.
Pitson, who has been averaging 42.3 runs in the seconds, served up 57 runs (one six, eight fours) to open the batting in his firsts’ season debut. He fittingly brought up his half century by belting out a six.
Point kept chipping; Simon Oglive captured 4-26, including the key scalps of captain and opener Cole Roscholler (10 runs), big-hitter Grant Bell (32) and dangerous lower-order dwellers Matt Smith and Eamon Johnson.
The six other Pointies who took up the ball nabbed a wicket apiece, showcasing Point’s evenness and depth.
Interestingly, this is the first time the two clubs have met since round one last season but Point has sharpened its edge on the Red Caps, who last beat Point in round nine of the 2011-12 season.
LADDER: GOLDEN POINT 58 premiership points, 1.7751 percentage; WENDOUREE 55, 1.5289; MT CLEAR 45, 1.5337; NAPOLEONS-SEBASTOPOL 42, 1.2304; Brown Hill 39, 1.2329; East Ballarat 33, 0.9431; Ballarat-Redan 27, 0.8733; Darley 25, 0.8570*; Coronet City 9, 0.4011; North Ballarat 3, 0.4915*.
*Darley v North Ballarat yet to be calculated
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au