KOROIT
Victory over the league's ladder leader has Koroit in a positive state of mind ahead of its game against Allansford-Panmure Gold on Saturday.
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The one-day game was to be played at Panmure but has been moved to Koroit.
Koroit made a good fist of its debut encounter against the Northern Raiders last Saturday at Jack Keane Oval.
Again it was the Koroit bowling attack that carried the day after the Saints batted first and struggled to gain momentum throughout their innings.
The Saints were bowled out for 106, with Matthew Webster and Patrick Sinnott top scoring with 26 each.
The Saints' score looked 40 runs short, especially against a Northern Raiders team that had won its first three games of the season.
But with ball in hand, Koroit was up to the task of defending this total.
Bailey Gardiner opened the ball and was outstanding, taking 3/25 from nine overs to put the Saints right in the contest early on.
Seamus Brady (3-24) was then introduced to the attack, taking a wicket with his first ball.
Brady was on a hat-trick soon after, taking two wickets in a row to throw the Raiders middle order into disarray.
The Raiders provided resistance all the way down the order, but the Saints were able to eke out 10 wickets for 100 to claim the win.
One big advancement made by this Koroit team in recent seasons has been the quality of its fielding.
Keeper Patrick Brady is well established behind the stumps, Bailen McDonald and Kurt Howard are brave and alert in close and Jack O'Sullivan and Seamus Brady are as good as fielders as any going around, no matter where they are stationed.
This sharpness in the field has helped keep the pressure on opposition batsmen, with no easy runs on offer.
PORT FAIRY
The Pirates division one team will be hoping to get back on the winner's list when they come up against Russells Creek at Avery's Paddock on Saturday.
Last Saturday was Port Fairy's first loss of the season, going down to Wesley-CBC at Walter Oval.
With seven bowlers used, the Pirates were able to bowl the Beavers out for 134, with the 10th wicket falling in the 45th and last over.
Mark Pitt took 4-27 from his seven overs, while Brent Goonan and Jason Perera grabbed two wickets each.
The 134 looked to be a tally the Pirates were capable of chasing down, but a steady parade of top-order wickets falling put that task out of reach.
At 7-52, the game looked all but done for the visitors.
But youngster Max Green decided to dig in and give his team's chances a huge boost.
Green made 47 off 87 balls and when he was dismissed, he had guided his team to 9-114, with the chance of a come-from-behind win still on the cards.
The last-wicket partnership moved the score along to 121, before a run out snuffed out the Pirates comeback and the game was done.
Despite the loss, Port Fairy is in third place on the ladder, with Russells Creek on the top of the table.