Springvale South wicketkeeper Glenn Tyrer and his team-mates celebrate after running out Narre Warren’s Shane Simpson for a duck on Saturday.By Paul Pickering and Marc McGowan
A WEEKEND of upsets in the Turf One competition has set up a tense final round over the next fortnight.
The top six sides – Berwick, Springvale South, Parkfield, North Dandenong, Buckley Ridges and Cranbourne – look set to battle it out for positions in the final four, while cellar dwellers Dandenong West, Keysborough, Doveton and Coomoora will be looking to avoid relegation.
Results in the penultimate round were as follows:
Parkfield d Dandenong West
Parkfield vaulted into third spot on the ladder with a 13-run first innings victory over Dandenong West at Greaves Reserve.
After 18 wickets fell on the first day, Dandenong West resumed at 8/74 on Saturday in pursuit of Parkfield’s 139.
And despite some sustained resistance from opener Matt Sofoulis (39 not out) and number 11 Matt Meehan (13) – an unlikely pairing that added 34 runs – the Bulls were soon dismissed for 123 to surrender the points.
In their second dig, the Bears reached 5/123, with Steve Cannon (33) and Dale Harris (27) remaining unbeaten at stumps.
Keysborough d North Dandenong
Keysborough’s bid to stave off relegation is well and truly alive after an upset win over North Dandenong at Keysborough Reserve on Saturday.
Having dismissed its more fancied opponent for 154 the previous weekend, Keysborough eclipsed that total with four wickets still in the hutch before declaring at 7/194.
In an impressive team batting performance, all eight Keysborough players to take to the crease managed double figures, with Mahshan Perera’s 35 the top knock.
North Dandenong then reached 4/88 in a meaningless session before stumps.
Heading into the final round, Keysborough will be looking to hold on to a one-point break on Dandenong West at the foot of the table, while North Dandenong – currently fourth – will have to beat St Mary’s to shore up a finals berth.
Doveton d Coomoora
Coomoora will not be playing finals in its return season in Turf One after the Roos were comfortably overhauled by Doveton on Saturday.
Last year’s Turf Two premiers were always going to struggle to defend a total of 132, and so it proved as the Doves achieved their target with six wickets down.
Doveton’s score of 182 was headlined by contributions from prolific all-rounder Brad Downe (31) and Sean Paynter (27 not out), while Carlos Hereford (4/58) and Rizan Mawzoon (2/48) toiled manfully for the Roos.
Locked in ninth and 10th spots with 24 points, both Doveton and Coomoora are still vulnerable to relegation if Keysborough and Dandenong West win their last games.
Narre Warren d Springvale South
A stunning double act from John Simpson (105 not out) and Shean Vanderwert (90) guided Narre Warren to a rousing away victory over reigning premier Springvale South at Alex Nelson Reserve on Saturday.
In pursuit of Springvale South’s total of 204, the pair combined – with the game in the balance – to usher the Magpies to 4/256 before Vanderwert’s dismissal brought the day to a premature end.
Simpson’s ton was his second of the season, while Vanderwert registered his highest score of the summer.
Springvale South quick Nick Bole-Brown was the only multiple wicket-taker with 2/66.
While the Magpies look to be out of the finals equation, Springvale South is now six points – and significant percentage – adrift of ladder leader Berwick.
To have any chance of securing the regular season honours, the defending champs would have to crush Buckley Ridges at Park Oval over the next fortnight.
St Mary’s d Berwick
Brilliant innings from two St Mary’s stars consigned Berwick to a shock four-wicket defeat at Carroll Reserve on Saturday.
Opener Troy Cashman (96) and number three batsman Luke Byron (96) just fell short of centuries to lead St Mary’s past the Bears’ total of 6/285.
Their 90-run union put the home team in the impregnable position of 1/156 before Cashman was adjudged lbw to Berwick leg spinner Ash Henry.
Byron held the innings together and St Mary’s saw cameos from several players to finish 6/290 in an impressive performance.
After failing to reach double digits with the bat for the first time this season, Ash Roberts was his club’s best bowler with 3/35.
Cranbourne d Buckley Ridges
An inspired bowling display delivered Cranbourne a vital 25-run victory over fellow finals contender Buckley Ridges at Casey Fields on the weekend.
The win, along with the upset defeat of North Dandenong, pulled the Eagles within six points of the top four.
And they have their big-name players to thank for their latest success, with Matthew Moore (4/32), Shane Murdoch (3/56) and captain-coach Ross Woodall (2/16) producing the goods.
Glen Rudd (50) gave the Ridges a solid enough start, but a steady stream of wickets prevented it from gaining any momentum.
With Cranbourne, which made 193 in its dig, pouring on the pressure, Buckley relented for 168.
