NOBLE Park Cricket Club defeated Caulfield on the weekend to progress to the group grand final of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.
A man-of-the-match performance from Damien Fleming steered his side to a 45-run victory.
After winning the toss and batting, Noble Park lost early wickets and had slumped to 4/57 before Gavin Hurley and Fleming revived the innings with a 121-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Hurley was run out for 56, but it was Fleming’s knock that stole the show, as he blasted 100 off 147 deliveries in an innings that included seven fours and one six. Fleming was also run out and the Noble Park tail collapsed to finish the innings at 9/228.
Five batsmen failed to reach double figures, a tally the side would certainly want to reduce come this weekend’s grand final.
With the ball in hand on Sunday, the Noble Park bowlers proved too disciplined and too determined for the Caulfield batsmen, bowling them out for 183. Ash Perera took two early wickets to land Caulfield in trouble at 2/16.
Wicketless the week before, Kynan Ford found the right line and length on the Caulfield pitch and bowled his way to the match-best figures of 4/51.
Fleming was also unstoppable with the ball, snaring 3/40 from 19 overs in a spell that included seven maidens.
Noble Park will play Malvern in the grand final this weekend after Elsternwick, undefeated all season, was eliminated from the finals.
– Glen Atwell
