Brilliant Endeavour Hills all-rounder Matthew Hutchinson produced the match-winning figures of 7/71 in his side’s crushing 146-run victory over Werribee at Chirnside Park on Saturday. Picture: Ray Pollanen.
By Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills captain-coach Ben Maroney declared his side on track to achieve his pre-season goal of playing finals after a 146-run thumping of Werribee at Chirnside Park on Saturday.
The Victorian Sub District Cricket Association result was never in question once talented Hills all-rounder Matthew Hutchinson (7/71) snared the first three Tiger wickets with just 54 runs on the board.
Werribee ultimately succumbed for just 215 in response to Endeavour Hills’ day-one club record total of 8/361 in perfect batting conditions.
The pitch was similarly batsman-friendly last weekend, but Hutchinson’s lethal opening spell made it irrelevant.
It is the second time this year the paceman has produced a match-winning performance, after recording figures of 6/38 in the club’s 17-run success over second-placed Broadmeadows in October.
The victory moved the Hills into ninth spot on the East/West Group first XI ladder, with two wins, a tie and three losses.
While Hutchinson was the hero, he received great support from his team-mates, with youngster Matthew Aslett (1/19) grasping his best opportunity to date at this level.
Simon Black (1/40) was the other wicket-taker, while also orchestrating the run out of Werribee tail-ender Tony Williams to end the game.
There was not much fight from the Tiger line-up, but Victorian under-17 bladesman Travis Dean was left unbeaten on 63.
Ryan Cornish (28) headed six other Werribee batsmen who reached double digits.
Highlighting the impotent nature of the Tigers’ batting on the weekend was the fact Dean’s and Darren Batties’ 42-run eighth-wicket partnership was the best the Tigers could muster for the afternoon.
But Hutchinson’s stunning display was the story of the day, according to Maroney.
“Hutchy is a super bowler … he took 20-odd wickets last year, but he’s already up to 20 wickets halfway through the season,” Maroney said.
“He spent a year in Ireland (with club side Holywood) and if anything got used to bowling turf again, after he went to (West Gippsland Cricket Association side) Nyora, and is back to bowling line and length.”
Endeavour Hills’ batsmen set up the triumph, but Maroney praised his bowlers’ application.
“The boys bowled really well – the ground was lightning-fast,” he said.
“For most of the day I had seven on the off-side and two on the on-side and told them to bowl off-stump or wider, and they did that.
“Everyone had two or three short spells and we mixed the bowling up a fair bit.”
The victory sets up a match-up with the winless Sunshine and the opportunity to head into the Christmas break on a high.
“We are improving and we have Sunshine this week, which is on the bottom of the ladder,” Maroney said.
“Hopefully we’ll go into Christmas with three-and-a-half wins and it only takes five to be in the top four (at the moment).
“I wouldn’t have minded an extra win on the board, but we’re not too far off where I wanted to be.”
The Hills take on Sunshine at Sydney Pargeter Reserve from 1pm on Saturday.
