By JARROD POTTER
Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 1 – grand final
IT will go down as one of the epic encounters in association history.
The DDCA Turf 1 grand final has been run and won by Parkfield over three extraordinary days of play, and all who watched it will maintain vivid memories of a truly remarkable clash for years to come.
There were two massive collapses – one for each side – leaving both sides five-or-six down for not many.
Two fighting centuries from club legends – with Steve Spoljaric (106) and Craig Slocombe (104 not out) cementing their spots as association icons.
On top of that, one of the best bowling spells in the DDCA’s history as Yoshan Kumara (9/60) secured a nine-wicket haul in a grand final.
For the DDCA, it will be hard to surpass.
Spoljaric and his men needed four wickets on Saturday to clinch Parkfield’s third Turf 1 premiership, but needed to go through Springvale South’s ironclad defender Craig Slocombe and the 99 runs the Bloods needed.
Slocombe reiterated with the bat what Spoljaric laid down in the Parkfield batting innings – supreme experience is hard to dismiss in big matches.
Working mostly with Aaron Morison (11) on the final day, Slocombe belted his way towards his second century of the season, but lost Morison – falling to a freak run-out from Spoljaric at 9/185. Spoljaric found the non-striker backing up too far and Morison lost his pegs to the superb in-fielding work of the Bears’ captain.
Slocombe crunched the next ball just over the head of Shane Bell on the rope to reach his ton, which was celebrated in subdued fashion with the task at hand more important to the captain.
The Bloods’ captain has been a grand final expert in recent knocks – his last three Turf 1 grand final appearances have shown his capabilities under pressure, scoring 95 (versus Buckley Ridges in 2010/11), 79 (versus Berwick 2011/12) and now adding an unbeaten century against Parkfield.
Liam Hamilton (0) was the last Blood to fall – creeping his feet down the wicket a little too much against Samiddha Gallage (1/9), who captured the final wicket, after wicketkeeper Andrew Keays flicked the bails off, to bring the premiership cup home to Dunblane Reserve.
For Spoljaric earning a premiership and helping blood the next generation of Parkfield cricketers in a grand final was a great reward for a long season.
“We all play hard and there was one thing I was sure of when we played this game that I didn’t need to give a pep talk to these guys, even the young ones,” Spoljaric said.
“They all knew their jobs and even the 17 and 18-year-olds bowled pretty well – they’ve bowled better but that’s to be expected.
“It’s thoroughly enjoyable playing a season where people probably didn’t rate us too highly and we just snuck along all the way and did this.”
The youth coming through the ranks for both sides impressed Spoljaric and he believes the association is in good stead moving into next season and beyond.
“All the kids chipped in along the way… we’ve got some good kids playing at the moment and we’ll continue to help bring them on,” Spoljaric said.
“This is a big experience for them and for Springy as well – their kids will kick on from that – and that’s the main thing in the cricket.
“You’ve got to keep the cricket alive, especially for us in Noble Park with the landscape changing every year.”
Spoljaric wanted to thank the Parkfield boys and the club for their support this season.
“Thank the team really – we’re not here without them obviously – and the helpers behind the scenes at the club,” Spoljaric said.
“It’s a very family orientated club – I’ve started my own family recently so it’s been really good for us and it’s a nice place to be.”
In the other result left to finish this week, DDCA’s Turf 5 premiership cup went to Buckley Ridges (176), which narrowly managed to knock off Narre South (8/159) on the back of some strong bowling from Nathan Beaver (3/49 off 36 overs) and Pradeep de Silva (2/45 off 24 overs). For the Lions, retiring champion Jeffrey Thom (46) was the last man out as he tried valiantly to capture the flag and bow out with a premiership cup under his arm.
DANDENONG DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
TURF 1 GRAND FINAL SCORECARD
1ST INNINGS – PARKFIELD
J. Williamson c, A.G. Sharp b, Y. Kumara 0
R. Carr b, Y. Kumara 6
T. Payne c, D.M. Quirk b, N.A. King 10
T. D’souza b, Y. Kumara 0
*S. Spoljaric c, A.G. Sharp b, Y. Kumara 106
S. Gallage lbw b, Y Kumara 5
J.D. Jones c, D.M. Quirk b, Y. Kumara 0
S.R. Doig c, D.M. Quirk b, Y. Kumara 28
M.S. Aslett b, Y. Kumara 46
S. Bell not out 20
+A Keays b, Y. Kumara 3
Extras (nb 9, w 1, b 1, lb 6) 17
Total 241
Fall of Wickets: 0 (J. Williamson), 14 (T. D’souza), 14 (R. Carr), 18 (T. Payne), 28 (J.D. Jones), 28 (S. Gallage), 129 (S.R. Doig), 210 (M.S. Aslett), 215 (S. Spoljaric), 241 (A. Keays).
Bowling: Y. Kumara 26.1-5-9-60. N. King 21-5-1-54. R. Kellepotha 16-0-0-61. C. Slocombe 5-1-0-13. A. Morrison 8-0-0-32. J. Sketcher 4-0-0-14.
1ST INNINGS – SPRINGVALE SOUTH
N.A. King c, S. Spoljaric b, M.S. Aslett 19
S.W. Masterson c, J.D. Jones b, S. Spoljaric 6
+D.M. Quirk c, S. Bell b, M.S. Aslett 5
R. Quirk c, A. Keays b, MS. Aslett 0
*C. Slocombe not out 104
R.P. Kellepotha c, A. Keays b, S. Spoljaric 0
J.R. Sketcher lbw b, S.R. Doig 18
A.G. Sharp lbw, S. Spoljaric 9
Y. Kumara c, D’Souza b, Spoljaric 2
A.T. Morrison run out 10
L.A. Hamilton st, A. Keays b, Gallage 0
Extras (nb 5, w 4, b 2, lb 9) 20
Total 194
Fall of Wickets: 25 (S.W. Masterson), 30 (D.M. Quirk), 30 (R. Quirk), 33 (N.A. King), 34 (R.P. Kellepotha), 111 (J.R. Sketcher), 143 (A.G. Sharp), 157 (Y. Kumara), 180 (A.T. Morrison), 194 (L.A. Hamilton).
Bowling: S. Spoljaric 30-8-4-49. M. Aslett 8-0-3-32. S. Bell 7-0-0-34. T. D’Souza 11-2-0-25. S. Doig 12-2-1-34. S. Gallage 7.4-3-1-9.
