North Dandenong’s Shane Clark didn’t last long on Saturday, caught for four runs. A WAGGING tail saved Dandenong and District Cricket Association side North Dandenong from sure defeat on day one of its Turf One match against Berwick at Louis Twohig Reserve.
After an early batting collapse on Saturday morning, including a duck to Glenn Finkelde, Adrian Baltruschaitis scored a quickfire 36 before Steven Finkelde blasted his side back into contention with 67 not out.
Paul McDonald also made a valuable half-century before being bowled by Jarrod Goodes for 53.
But it was a sensational bowling attack by Berwick’s Will Carr that netted him 5/53 and put his team in a strong winning position.
The Berwick Bears were asked to bowl on a flat and hard wicket with a pristine fielding surface provided at North Dandenong’s home ground.
Carr made his presence felt with a fiery opening spell that netted him three wickets as North Dandenong crashed to 3/22.
Berwick was in control but had to work hard for the next wicket when Dave Hampton capitalised on a steady spell from Simon Cornell to grab a wicket with his first ball.
Hampton struck again in his next over as Berwick looked set to bust the game apart with the score on 5/57.
North Dandenong clawed its way back with a solid sixth wicket partnership of 46 that was unbroken until the last over before tea, when Carr returned for his second spell and his fourth wicket.
It was back to level pegging at 6/105 and the Bears almost let the game slip when they allowed a further 75 runs to be added for the seventh wicket.
Chris Underwood (0/40 off 16) toiled hard with his off breaks, while Ryan Crawford succumbed to a groin injury after six quality overs.
Goodes made the most of it when thrown the ball in his first game of the season, and despite a wicketless first spell returned with some real venom second time around.
With 3/21 off 12 overs, Goodes swung the game back Berwick’s way with three vital wickets just as the fielding side was starting to wane.
North Dandenong’s 6/178 soon became 9/207 before the team was all out for 223 with five overs remaining.
If North Dandenong can capture early wickets on Saturday, this game looks set to go down to the wire.
