Berwick batsman Gavan Wills drives through the off side on his way to an unbeaten 70 against Cranbourne at Casey Fields on Saturday.
By Paul Pickering and Marc McGowan
SPRINGVALE South claimed its fourth consecutive win on Saturday to establish a six-point break atop the Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf One ladder.
The reigning premiers’ pace duo of Nick Bole-Brown and Danny Law overwhelmed a struggling Dandenong West at Alex Nelson Reserve.
Meanwhile, Buckley Ridges recorded an away victory over St Mary’s, Narre Warren cruised past Parkfield, Coomoora got the points at home against Keysborough, North Dandenong held off Doveton and Berwick skittled Cranbourne at Casey Fields.
Springvale South d Dandenong West
Resuming at 2/19 and still 191 runs in arrears of its in-form opponent, Dandenong West started promisingly under the guidance of Matt Sofoulis and skipper Alan Campbell.
The pair looked like settling in before Danny Law (4/66) affected the vital breakthrough, trapping Campbell (21) in front with the score at 64.
And while Anthony Brannan (21) made a brief cameo, Nick Bole-Brown (4/49) snuck one through his defences to expose the Bulls’ middle order.
Dandenong West’s chances of a fightback were all but dashed when Sofoulis fell to Springvale South skipper Craig Slocombe for 41, leaving Bole-Brown and Law to clean up the tail.
The Bulls’ total of 161 left them 45 runs short.
Law, who scored 45 in his first dig, then used the remaining seven overs to complement his all-round game with an unbeaten 25, while Sam Delaney made 42 as Springvale South blasted 2/70.
Buckley Ridges d St Mary’s
Having snared the handy figures of 6/21 the previous weekend, Buckley Ridges bowler Westley Nicholas could have been excused for thinking his job was done.
Instead, Nicholas eclipsed his own lofty standards by taking 8/33 at Carroll Reserve on Saturday – giving him the astonishing figures of 14/54 for the match.
Thanks largely to Nicholas, Buckley Ridges needed just 80 more runs to secure first-innings points against St Mary’s, and did so through the entertaining batting of opener Daniel Watson (71) and skipper Shane D’Rozario (39).
Declaring at 8/180, Buckley Ridges was poised to claim an outright victory after Nicholas’ second-innings heroics had reduced the Saints to a total of 109.
With just five overs left to bat, Buckley Ridges’ search for a quick 63 runs saw them self-destruct to be 6/39 at stumps.
Narre Warren d Parkfield
Narre Warren’s batsmen were in no hurry to surpass Parkfield’s meagre total of 144 at Sweeney Reserve on Saturday.
Having resumed at 0/23, Magpie openers Wendell Perumal (45) and Matthew Darvell dawdled to 83 before the former was trapped in front by Dale Harris.
Having taken 176 balls and 200 minutes to make his 39, Darvell then fell to Bears paceman Shane Doig with the score at 108.
The measured opening stand left little work for number three Michael Dennis to do, yet the struggling batsman gained valuable time in the middle as he compiled an unbeaten 32. The Magpies finally overhauled the Bears in their 73rd over, with just three wickets down.
Coomoora d Keysborough
Coomoora resumed at 2/66 on Saturday, needing 89 runs to secure first innings points against cross-town foe Keysborough.
Things didn’t start well for the Roos, losing four quick wickets to be vulnerable at 6/93. But a match-winning 67-run stand between wicketkeeper-batsman Roshan Perera (50 not out) and Matt Wenke (34) gave the Roos their second consecutive win, vaulting the Turf Two premiers to seventh on the ladder.
For Keysborough, Mahshan Perera (3/44) was again among the wickets, while Jake Henniga (2/27) and Channa Gunawardana (2/51) also claimed multiple scalps.
Berwick d Cranbourne
Berwick was way too strong in accounting for Cranbourne by eight wickets at Casey Fields on Saturday.
Bears leg-spinner Ash Henry set up the triumph the previous weekend by snaring 6/11 as the Eagles were bowled out for just 104. In reply, after two early stumbles, Berwick was led past Cranbourne’s total by gun all-rounder and captain Alex Roberts’ (109) second successive century.
The similarly run-hungry Gavan Wills (70 not out) joined Roberts in feasting on the Eagles attack. The duo came to the crease with the Bears struggling at 2/21 before combining for a magnificent 167-run alliance. Berwick declared at 3/219 to see whether it could claim outright points, but Cranbourne saw out the remaining 32 overs to finish on 1/51.
North Dandenong d Doveton
An embarrassing batting collapse at Robinson Reserve on Saturday has entrenched Doveton on the bottom of the ladder.
The lowly Doves surprisingly threatened North Dandenong before losing 9/63 to ruin another sterling solo performance from former captain-coach Brad Downe (98).
Chasing their opponent’s gettable 204, Doveton openers Downe and Troy Jordan (26) made a good start before the latter was removed with the score on 68. Ryan McMurray (16) helped Downe move the Doves to 1/102 before McMurray’s dismissal triggered their disintegration.
Not one further Doveton batsman reached double digits as the team crumbled to be all out for 165.
Adrian Baltruschaitis (3/30) and Stuart Mack (3/35) were North Dandenong’s best with the leather.
