By JARROD POTTER
Dandenong District Cricket Association – round 9 (week 2)
BUCKLEY Ridges take a bow – any side that can chase 334 deserves serious applause.
BUCKLEY RIDGES v COOMOORA
NOT daunted by a monstrous total set by Coomoora (7/333) – Buckley Ridges (8/334) would have celebrated long into Saturday night (or Sunday morning) after one of the bigger chases in recent DDCA history. Paul Rudd (106) led from the top, smashing 16 boundaries and two sixes in his century with critical support coming from Antonio Greenidge (51). Rudd was run out at 5/232, leaving a lot of work for the lower order to take the points. Rob Johnston (2/64) and Lance Baptist (2/26) kept things tight for Coomoora with the ball, but Tim Bacic (2/104) copped the brunt of the Ridges’ attack from his 16 overs. The lower order kept the pace up with Luke Fletcher (51 not out) knocking in his second match-winning half-century in a week, after guiding the Ridges’ Twenty20 premiership chase on Wednesday night. Ben Watson (32) and Matt Goodwright (14) belted crucial sixes out of Park Oval to help the Ridges make their ground with only two balls to spare in the day.
PARKFIELD v NARRE WARREN
The battle of first versus worst panned out to the script as Parkfield (178) cantered home against Narre Warren (87 and 0/36). Steve Spoljaric (2/7) locked down the Magpies for eight overs, with six maidens, leading the way for a rampage from Travis D’Souza (5/29). D’Souza earned his first five-wicket haul in the DDCA including the big wickets of Narre imports Kaushalya Weeraratne (12) and Pramod Liyanagamage (2). Samiddha Gallage (2/31) also came to the party and took home a couple of scalps.
HALLAM KALORA PARK v SPRINGVALE SOUTH
Hallam Kalora Park (186) could not overcome a monster total from Springvale South (6/363) as the Bloods import seamer Ruwantha Kellepotha (6/87) rattled through the home side. Kellepotha claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many weeks as he worked his way down the Hallam attack. Rhys Serpanchy (48) and Luke Byron (49) both lost their wickets on the verge of half centuries and from there the lower order failed to find any teeth. Aaron Morrison (3/57) held down an end and bagged three wickets for his troubles from 28 overs.
LYNDALE v BERWICK
Guiding Berwick (5/155) to a comfortable victory over the rapidly sliding Lyndale (153) was Sri Lankan great Thilan Samaraweera (67 not out). Samaraweera guided the knock and batted sensibly around the rest of the Berwick order as Gavan Wills (35), Darren de Souza (19) and Nirmal Wickramaratne (15) helped him rotate the singles. Michael Gallagher (3/26) toiled to get his wickets while Tharanga Lakshita (0/36) was the economic man with 10 maidens in his 24 overs. Liam Mara (2/32) also jagged a couple of wickets for Lyndale, which slips to sixth on the DDCA Turf 1 ladder, five points out of the final four.
HEINZ SOUTHERN DISTRICTS v NORTH DANDENONG
Adam Semmens (100 not out) was the chief destroyer of North Dandenong (98 and 122) as Heinz Southern Districts (7/191dec and 1/31) successfully struck an outright victory. Semmens blasted anything in his wheelhouse as the Cobras looked to declare early, and 11 fours and two sixes later, Semmens raised his bat for an impressive first Turf 1 century. With Semmens’ century in the bag, the Cobras went to work dismissing North Dandenong on the cheap. The Northerners couldn’t hold their spot at the crease as Caleb Millman (39) and Clay McCartney (21) top-scored from the middle/lower order. Paul Stockdale (5/47) ripped through the Norths’ batting, leaving 30 to chase which Keith Perumal (24 not out) belted home in 5.5 overs for a handy outright victory and 10 points.
DANDENONG WEST v MORDIALLOC
Holding out Mordialloc (98) is a mean feat, but Dandenong West (126 and 7/146) claimed a low-scoring thriller on the back of Peter Atkinson’s (6/44) bowling bonanza.
Atkinson rattled through the Bloodhounds top order, stunting Mordialloc’s big three – Stuart Squires (3), Leon Kennedy (1) and Tim Richardson (14). From there Shaun Weir (3/15) got in on the action to restrict Mordialloc to a scant 98 form 40.5 overs. Dandenong West batted out the rest of the afternoon to avoid any outright surprises with Gehan Perera (69 not out) the best from the West.
