Skipper Daniel Weigl is confident Lara can “get the job done” this week at King Lloyd Reserve against Murgheboluc after posting a tally of 191 runs on Saturday.
After Inam Ulla (2.30) took the early wickets of opener Kaden Marum (1) and first drop Peter Herrick (8) and put the score at 2/20, Robert Sodomaco (85) and Jason Hewitt (67) dug in to add another 140 runs before their partnership ended in the 54th over.
Murgheboluc spinner Owen Dunipace ripped through the rest of the Lara batting order, taking 6/22 to end the Cats’ innings 20 overs later. Jason Grozdanovski also contributed with the ball with figures of 2/58.
Weigl said while his side, who have an unassailable lead at the top of the GCA 2 ladder, could have ended the innings stronger against their nearest rival, they performed well overall given the conditions.
“We did well for the first 60 overs and then let ourselves down a little bit, but at the same time when the ball got soft and their spinners took pace off the ball it was quite difficult to score, quite difficult to get in on,” he said.
“No one threw their wicket away, it was just a combination of good bowling and tougher scoring conditions that meant the day ended where it did.
“That being said, I think if we bowl well we’ll be okay.”
Weigl said Sodomaco and Hewitt did well after Ulla’s early strikes with the new ball.
“Both of them did a really good job and did as we planned,” he said.
“Especially Jason, opening the batting coming up from the twos in the last couple weeks, we got a pretty good contribution from him.”
The Cats will look to exploit those same conditions this Saturday.
“I’m very confident, if the wicket is the same next week as it was this week I really back our spinners to do a good job and make it difficult,” Weigl said.
“I think their (Murgheboluc’s) scores (at home) probably reflect that as well. There haven’t been too many scores over 200 there.”
BELL PARK restricted Geelong West to 10/134 at West Oval, with Tynan Kelly and Nikhil Deep Pottabathini both taking three wickets. After bowling out the home side in 56 overs Dragons openers Sam Elliston-Buckley (43) and Michael Lymer (34) went on to make 0/80 in 21 overs before the end of the first day.
GEELONG CITY made 181 at home against Bell Post Hill, with Angus Evans their top scorer with 55. Dylan Walsh starred with the ball for the visitors with figures of 4/35, while Panthers skipper Ben Muir took 3/41. Bell Post Hill will start day two with 0/20 after six overs.
THIRD-PLACED Torquay struggled to a score of 10/86 against visitors Leopold, with Andrew Wedge and Riley Wood equal top scorers with 18 runs each. Robbie O’Donnell did the job for Leopold, taking 7/18 from his 14 overs with that ball. The Lions got off to a solid start with their innings, making 2/64 in the remaining 31 overs of day one.
