By Jonty Ralphsmith
Silverton faces a crunch clash with Berwick Springs as it looks to avoid a disastrous 0-3 start to its season.
The Bakers have been competitive in both their games, against Fountain Gate and Lynbrook, but have been plagued by an inability to seize key moments.
Against the Gators, a big partnership between skipper Rob North and middle-order batter Varinder Virk looked to have them on track for a score of about 180.
Instead, the loss of Virk started a collapse of 5/16 which kept Fountain Gate in the game.
Silverton then took early wickets to assert ascendancy, before number seven Mandeep Premi scored a match-winning 55 for Fountain Gate.
The Bakers dropped him twice.
That loss was especially significant for Silverton given it was the only game that went ahead on that wet Saturday.
On the weekend, they were reduced to 7/68.
While they were able to reach 183 and put Lynbrook under similar pressure through the middle of their innings, defensiveness in the field and dropped catches on day two allowed Lynbrook to snatch an unlikely victory.
Silverton will need to grasp its chances and ride out the momentum swings of the two-dayer against Berwick Springs or the season could quickly slip away, with Coomoora next up.
Meanwhile, Berwick Springs is coming off a win against Coomoora but will be hoping for a better performance with the bat.
The Titans were one of many teams which struggled to adjust to the return of two-day cricket, dismissed inside 54 overs with a score of just 168 on the board.
Just three players reached double figures, with Jackson Marie the only player to pass 50, with Radomir Badzoka, Braydon Hillman and Shalika Karunanayake among the players looking for a score.
Silverton quick Dylan Hayes’ opening spell to Marie will set the scene for the clash: both players are naturally aggressive and will look to assert ascendancy early.
The other Turf 3 games see Doveton host Fountain Gate, Coomoora host Lynbrook and Hampton Park host Doveton North.
