Crunch time for Noble Park

NOBLE Park Cricket Club’s first XI’s Premier League season hangs in the balance after being dismissed for a modest 186 against Bayswater on Saturday.
Winning the toss and batting, openers Andrew Brown and Andrew O’Meara shared in a 57-run opening stand with O’Meara the first to depart caught behind for 27.
Only one run was added when Brown joined O’Meara in the sheds, caught for 25. Rod Douthie (11) was bowled shortly after to leave it to Gavin Hurley and Jon Stone to take the side through to the tea break with the score 3/85 off 41 overs.
After the break it was Hurley who kept the innings together with Stones, Damien Fleming, Sharni Perera and Mark Rendle dismissed with the addition of only 70 runs.
When Hurley was bowled for 54 the score was 8/165 with six overs still to face.
Kynan Ford and Paul McDonald took the score to 183 when McDonald was out with Ash Perera out the next over to see the side all out with one over to face.
In the second XI match, a century to Matt Crozier saw Noble Park recover from 6/32 to be dismissed for a competitive 225.
Crozier’s 104 came off 122 deliveries and included nine fours and two sixes on the vast Bayswater ground.
He was supported by Andrew Berman (31) and Sean Schubert (41).
Noble Park’s third XI suffered its second loss for the season, going down to the second-placed Bayswater.
Nirosh Fonseka (63) and Sean Muller (42) led the way with the bat as the side reached 7/166 in its innings, but this was not enough as Bayswater passed the total in the 40th over.
Matt Ferguson with 2/39 was the best of the bowlers.
Noble Park kept its slim finals hopes alive for the fourth XI defeating Bayswater in a close game.
The side restricted Bayswater to 7/135 off 40 overs with Andrew Borovac taking 3/25 and Jake D’Atri 2/20.
In reply it took the full 40 overs to claim victory with the winning runs coming off the last ball.
Jake D’Atri and Steve Limbrick both made 31 with Asanga Weerasinghe 28.