Bulls charge into grand final

NOBLE Park Cricket Club’s third XI has made it to its first grand final in the Victorian Sub District Cricket Association after dismissing Croydon for 123 and reaching 7/126 on the weekend.
After Croydon won the toss and batted, Andrew Dennis got the Bulls off to a great start, picking up a wicket with the first ball of the second over with the visitors yet to score.
When a relayed throw from the boundary to wicketkeeper Jason Bradshaw saw the batsman short of his ground, the score was 2/13.
A 37-run stand saw the score reach 50 before Des Love broke through with an enticing catch behind.
Love then picked up a vital wicket, getting one through the defence of Dave Klepac who had worked his way to 26.
When Croydon captain Steve Potter was caught by Chris Yue off the bowling of Andrew Dennis, Croydon was 5/63 off 26 overs.
The next wicket fell with the score at 80 when a direct hit by Johann Wise ran the batsman out.
Wise featured in the next two wickets, taking a catch off the bowling of Asha Ganser then snaring a wicket himself on the stroke of tea with the score on 8/108.
After the break Ganser and Wise picked up a wicket each to see the visitors dismissed for 123.
Wise finished with 2/8 off 7.1 overs, Love with 2/24 off 10, Ganser with 2/35 off 11 and Dennis with 2/36 off 14.
Danny Ekanayake was unlucky to finish with 0/10 off eight overs in an opening spell that set the tone for the innings.
With 25 overs to bat, Noble Park lost Chris Yue in the second over when the ball trickled into off-stump with the total on 4.
Dane Rogers and Nirosh Fonseka saw the side through to stumps taking the total to 1/45 off 27 overs.
The next morning saw the pair add a further 15 runs before Fonseka was out caught behind for 30.
Ekanyake joined Rogers to take the total to 75 before he has bowled for 9.
Rogers and Darren Wilcox added a further 29 runs before Rogers was adjudged lbw for 46.
When Wilcox was out for 21 the next over, the score was 5/108.
It was soon 7/112 with Andrew Dennis and Luke Anthony dismissed in consecutive overs.
Andrew Love and Wise set about inching towards victory with the pair surviving the next 68 deliveries while only scoring off five to see the total to 126.
Dandenong now meets Malvern in the grand final this weekend at the Pat Wright Sr Oval in Noble Park