By Gavin Staindl
OF the eight completed rounds in the Dandenong and District Cricket Association season, six have been played in the one-day format but last Saturday signalled the last of the scheduled one-dayers for 2010/11.
With three 80-over games remaining, the teams outside the top four will have their work cut out for them if they wish to catch the front-runners in time for March.
TURF ONE
@BT Sub Sport News:NORTH DANDENONG v NARRE WARREN
North Dandenong has won its second game in a row after embarrassing Narre Warren by 140-runs at Lois Twohig Reserve.
Behind the bat of opener Shane Leonard (54), North Dandenong kicked on to make 7/186 but it was with the ball that North Dandenong was at its most destructive.
Openers Shane Smith (3/9) and Scott Neeson (2/12) were the most violent of the bowlers as Narre Warren succumbed to 46 without a batter reaching double figures.
@BT Sub Sport News:PARKFIELD v HALLAM-KALORA PARK
Hallam-Kalora Park’s slide from the top four continued on Saturday as Parkfield secured an eight-wicket win at Hallam Rec Reserve.
Last year’s grand finalists have won only one of the last five matches and dropped to eighth on the Turf One ladder with the weekend’s loss.
The Birds were competitive early, reaching 5/123 from the 40 overs but Parkfield’s batters were too good, passing the score with six overs in tact.
Steven Spoljaric was back to his pre-Christmas best with 61 not out as the fourth placed Parkfield opened up a one-game lead over Doveton in fifth.
@BT Sub Sport News:BERWICK v DOVETON
No chase is too big for the Berwick Bears who pulled off a stunning four-wicket win over Doveton at Robinson Reserve.
Berwick was set a challenging 166 but the three amigos Brad Francis (35), James Davies (51) and Paul Evans (34) were at their usual best in the middle order.
At 2/38, the trio combined to take Berwick to 5/165 before Evans was removed on the stroke of victory.
@BT Sub Sport News:SPRINGVALE SOUTH v
DANDENONG WEST
Springvale South is only one win away from securing a finals berth after defeating Dandenong West by six wickets at Greaves Reserve.
A strong bowling performance led by Suranjith Silva (2/6 from eight overs) restricted Dandenong West to 93 before the Springvale bats took over.
Springvale casually passed the target with five overs remaining and need only one win from the next three games to make up for last year’s disappointment of missing finals.
@BT Sub Sport News:BUCKLEY RIDGES v ST MARY’S
It was an early finish on Saturday for Buckley Ridges which wasted no time in chasing down the needed runs to secure an eight-wicket victory at Park Oval.
A 50 from Paul Sharp contributed to the competitive 151 made by St Mary’s in the first innings, but the total was quickly snapped up by a ruthless Ridges.
Suran Ekanayake (66) top scored for the home team as Buckley Ridges raced to 155 from 23 overs, averaging more than a run a ball.
Buckley also defeated Mordialloc at Park Oval in the round one match that had been postponed until Sunday.
The Ridges won by five wickets, passing the required 118 with 24 overs left.
@BT Sub Sport News:MORDIALLOC v KEYSBOROUGH
You know it’s not your day when the weekend’s second highest total isn’t enough to get you over the line.
Keysborough fought valiantly to chase Mordialloc’s 5/195 but fell 17-runs short in its attempt to keep the Keysborough Reserve scoreboard in motion.
Anirudh Motupalli top scored with 61 before he became the fourth Keysborough batter to be run out and in doing so sealed Keysborough’s fate, becoming the last wicket of the day.
