By Marcus Uhe
A wild weekend of results had Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 3 competition stakeholders’ heads spinning like a Shane Warne doosra over the weekend.
There’s finally an outright leader at the top of the table, two teams secured major upsets and one managed an unlikely outright victory to reignite finals hopes.
Lynbrook’s top four chances have been dealt a huge blow on the back of a startling batting collapse against Hampton Park.
As a result of this and Berwick’s Springs’ dominant performance against Doveton, the Lakers find themselves in a world of trouble with four games remaining, 10 points back from the fourth place Titans.
Day two resumed with Shane D’Rozario’s side needing only a further 71 for victory with six wickets in hand after an excellent bowling effort on day one.
Jay Walia and opener Adithya Naron resumed their partnership and looked set at 4/109 until Gurpreet Singh provided the breakthrough the Lions needed.
Walia was snaffled by Travis Lacey for 17 and Naron lasted little longer for the Lakers, with his lengthy 49-run innings coming to an end just shy of his second 50 of the summer at senior level.
Anubhav Chopra’s dismissal for one made it a collapse of 3/6, and a second of 3/1 to close proceedings saw Lynbrook rolled for 132.
All in all, the Lakers lost 6/20 on the second day of a season that could have put them in prime position to make fourth spot their own.
The day began with speculation of an outright possibility and finished with their tail between their legs, with their season likely down the drain.
Hampton Park reached 4/111 in its second innings.
The biggest surprise of the round came at Narre North, where Keysborough suffered a critical and unexpected loss to the home side.
In pursuit of 163, the Knights batting line-up completely faltered, reaching just 88 and lasting 38.4 overs.
They could add just a further 68 runs to their overnight score, as Narre North seamer Fazmin Mohamed turned the game with a devastating spell.
He grabbed the key wickets in Keysborough’s card of Chanaka Kahandawala and Christo Otto for 14 and zero respectively, before following up with veteran pair Abhinay Motupalli and Shanaka Perumpuli in consecutive overs.
The attacking and stroke-making Otto was strangled for an uncharacteristic 14-ball duck, with the tension and pressure rising on the Knights following his departure.
Beyond his wicket, the relentless Narre North grabbed the final six Keysborough scalps for 35 runs to secure a brilliant result, and comfortably its best win since returning to Turf 3.
Mohamed finished with 4/21 from his 12 overs in a brilliant effort, with captain Sikhie Samarasekera grabbing 3/8 to help wrap-up proceedings.
Keysborough may come to rue this afternoon when the home-and-away season draws to a close, having missed a chance to strengthen their likelihood of grabbing top spot, and avoiding the difficult second v third match up.
They now sit third, tied on points with Silverton but with an inferior percentage.
Berwick Springs, meanwhile, has roared into fourth place, becoming the latest side to pounce on a struggling Doveton outfit.
The Titans grabbed the maximum 10 points on offer to leapfrog Hampton Park and make fourth place their own, thanks to a four-point gap.
Quick runs during their first innings allowed them to roll the Doves cheaply again and chase just the 14 required before stumps in the fourth innings.
Jackson Marie discovered some form in a season heavily curtailed by injury, making 84 off 92 balls and setting the tone for a fast-tempo approach.
Finishing with a flurry, making 52 from the final five overs, Berwick Springs declared with a 53-run lead after 36 over with a positive run rate of 5.7.
Archit Vora’s 33 off 19 proved vital in the finish, pushing the Titans to a strong position.
Berwick Springs backed its bowlers and hoped the Doves would fall in a heap as has become their defining characteristic this summer and the gamble payed off in spades.
Only 27 overs were required to wrap up Doveton’s second innings, and it could have been far worse if not for a middle order rear-guard from Nasratullah Solimankhail and Hamed Azadzoi.
The two added 30 for the fifth wicket until Azadzoi’s departure, with the Doves reaching 66, and setting the Titans 14 to win in the fourth innings.
Shalika Karunanayake and Ethan Marinic each took three wickets for Berwick Springs, before Karunanayake and Vora reached the target in the fifth over of their second innings.
Berwick Springs, last season’s runner up, has failed to reach the same heights as last summer and looked destined for a disappointing finish to the season, but now are in the box seat to claim fourth place.
It will be a big ask to keep their momentum rolling next week however, when they face Fountain Gate.
