Tough ask for Noble Park

NOBLE Park Cricket Club’s first XI will have a tough task next week, requiring a 300-plus total after Oakleigh amassed 8/321 at Warrawee Park in Victorian Sub District Cricket Association action on Saturday.
Noble Park got off to a good start with Matt Crozier getting the early breakthrough to have the home side 1/13 in the fourth over.
But a 100-run second-wicket stand meant the next wicket fell in the 35th over, when Sanj Weerasinghe had Oakleigh coach Jarrod Travaglia caught by Crozier as Oakleigh reached 2/143 off 45 overs at the break.
Weerasinghe hit a purple patch after tea, picking up three quick wickets to get Noble Park back in the game with Oakleigh 5/153.
When Rod Douthie chimed in with a wicket, the score was 6/184.
However, a 67-run seventh-wicket stand swung the game back in Oakleigh’s favour, as the home team’s lower order added another 70 runs to the 7/251 with the loss of only one wicket.
Weerasinghe returned tidy figures of 4/76 off 25 overs.
Noble Park’s second XI was in trouble at 6/77, but a 118-run seventh-wicket stand between Andrew Borovac (82) and Shane Smith (57) salvaged the innings and the side ended up with a respectable total of 9/231.
The third XI needs to make 227 this week after Oakleigh reached 8/226, with Andrew Dennis the best of the bowlers taking 4/31 off 20 overs and Carlos Peregin contributing with 2/43.
Noble Park’s fourths have a near-impossible task after Oakleigh made 8/342 – Tejinder Singh the best of the bowlers with 4/55.