Saints home in a thriller

SIXTH-placed St Mary’s provided the thriller of the round nine Dandenong and District Cricket Association games, getting across the line in the second last over against top-of-the-table Parkfield at the weekend.
On what seemed like a good batting wicket Parkfield captain Brad Houghton won the toss and elected to bat.
In his first game for the season, new Hawthorn recruit Beau Dowler started where he left off last year, blazing early.
While he hit the ball in the air, he managed to find the gaps forcing several balls through the infield, past the boundary and up onto the Dunblane Road bike track.
Before the Saints knew it, Parkfield was off to a flier, taking 40 runs from the first 10 overs without loss.
While Saints all-rounder Emanuel Coomaraswamy got the first wicket, it was the much-maligned Dane Harkin who got the ball rolling for the Saints getting the key wickets of Dowler, the in-form Dale Harris and the big-hitting Stuart Willey.
The wickets kept falling for the Saints with the introduction of the spinners.
Nicknamed Andrew and Lindsay Gaze for their close father-and-son type relationship, Ash Henry and Cameron McDonnell tore the heart out of the Parkfield batting line-up, taking five wickets between them.
Henry finished with a miserly 2/8 from eight overs and McDonnell claimed 3/27 off his eight.
With Harkin taking 3/26 and captain Paul Sharp coming on late in the innings to claim 1/5 off four overs, the Saints had managed to run through the top-ranked team for only 116.
When St Mary’s gun bat Troy Cashman hit a cover drive for four in the first over, the Saints thought it was going to be plain sailing.
However Parkfield showed the fighting qualities that got it to the top of the ladder.
Cashman was caught behind charging Parkfield opening bowler Rick Price. Number-three Aaron Dragwidge went much the same way, charging fellow opener Shane McLean and getting the faintest of edges.
Wicketkeeper Gary Cake didn’t last long and when Ash Henry was dismissed for 25, the Saints knew they had a fight on their hands at 4/52.
It was left to second-gamer Brad Horaczko to show St Mary’s the way. While only making nine runs Horaczko showed he was adept at turf-one level by occupying the crease and steadying the Saints’ ship.
With the ever-reliable Michael Turner, they put on 21 for the fifth wicket before Horaczko was dubiously given out lbw. Turner went on to make 23, but when he was dismissed at 6/84 the game was still up for grabs.
When captain Paul Sharp was given out lbw with the score at 7/91, Parkfield needed three wickets and had 25 runs to play with so the game was still evenly poised.
Unfortunately for Parkfield, the St Mary’s tail wagged like it has done on countless occasions this year.
Emanuel Coomaraswamy and fellow scribe Cameron McDonnell got the Saints over the line with St Mary’s biggest partnership of the day, an unbroken stand of 27 runs.
Coomaraswamy finished on 13 not out and McDonnell was unbeaten on 12.
This week the Saints face the young and in-form Buckley Ridges while Parkfield has to contend with flag-favourite Berwick and a fast and furious Will Carr.
If the Saints can beat the Ridges on their home turf, it will be an enthralling last round with them having to beat Dandenong West to make the finals.