By Tyler Lewis
Berwick have leaped to the top of the DDCA table after its win over St. Mary’s.
The Bears rattled through the Saints for 163, before reeling in the total inside 30 overs at the loss of just three wickets.
While the Bears were expected to come away victors, the side has been somewhat underestimated in recent weeks.
A scenario Bears skipper James Wilcock isn’t disappointed about.
“We don’t mind going through with people not talking about us,” he said.
“Probably now with a few injuries, we’re not being talked up like the Springvale South’s and the Buckley Ridges, but we’re pretty happy with where we are and how we are going.”
The Bears had the Saints 4/141 before concluding the innings at 10/163. Majority of that was courtesy to Wilcock himself, who claimed 5/39 from 12.
Wilcock was pleased his side was able to follow the plan, while also admitting he feels more comfortable with the ball and leadership then he did earlier in the summer.
“For the team it was exactly what we needed to do, they had a couple key players we needed to get out,” he said.
“Unfortunately for us they fired, but we knew that once we got through those players we could get through the tail.
“From a personal point of view, it was nice to get a few wickets and stand up when we didn’t have the likes of Cheeks (Matt Chasemore) and Pez (Andrew Perrin) to get us going.
“Probably the last two games it has clicked (his bowling). At the start of the year I was a bit rusty and the captaincy was messing with my bowling a bit, but now I am much more comfortable and I think my bowling is reflecting that as well,” Wilcock said.
In the second innings, Lachlan Brown (55) and Jordan Cleland (65) managed to get the Bears to 122 without loss.
While the two openers would be disappointed they didn’t get the further 42 runs, Wilcock couldn’t be happier with the job his openers do, week-in-week-out.
“They seem to keep getting the job done,” he said.
“We were sort of umming and arring about our opening pair at the start of the season, but we thought we’d stick with Browny (Lachlan Brown) and Jordy (Jordan Cleland) and they keep getting the job done.
“It is such an important thing for the team, getting off to a good start without losing any wickets so we can attack at the back end. They’re doing it for the team and doing it really well,” Wilcock said.
In the first of this weekend’s double-header, the Bucks will travel to Arch Brown Reserve to take on Berwick, where the outcome will likely define the positioning of the top three.
Wilcock said his side will go in knowing what they need to do to overcome such a formidable opposition.
“It’s a pretty important game if you look at the ladder and where everyone is sitting,” he said.
“We know with Buckley that they’re a good team and hard to play against.
“We will need to be on from ball-one because they’re going to bring the heat; it should be a really good game.”
