By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
CRANBOURNE’S big-ticket recruit sung for his supper emphatically as newly appointed skipper Steve Spoljaric (94) starred in the Eagles’ 80-run win over Dandenong West.
After raising the DDCA Turf 2 flag from last season and presenting Turf 1 caps to the players, Cranbourne started horrendously as the Eagles fell to 4/32.
The revival came from Spoljaric and another big signing for the Eagles in years gone by as Te Ahu Davis (64) went the tonk as he walloped his first Turf 1 half-ton. The duo notched 126 runs together and was finally broken at 5/158 as Jamie Brown (2/38) earned Davis’ wicket. Another collapse would leave Cranbourne in tough waters, but Spoljaric remained to keep the Eagles soaring. Spoljaric would hang on til the final few overs before giving up a catch off Kieran Rodgers (2/390) – falling six runs short of his 10th Turf 1 ton – but by then Cranbourne had escaped danger and turned the tables on the Bulls. Dandenong West had no answers for Cranbourne’s bowling as the only innings of note came from Anthony Brannan (29) in the middle order. Martin Kelly (4/16) and Davis (3/17) carved up the Bulls and left no remains as Cranbourne stormed home for its first win in its Turf 1 resumption.
A gutsy captain’s knock from Coomoora (124) skipper Rob Johnston (59) was nowhere near enough to surpass Parkfield’s (227) impressive first-up score as an all-round bowling effort skittled the Kangaroos. The top order succumbed instantly to pressure from Brodie Snow (1/23), Matt Aslett (1/5) and Joe Wheal (1/13) as Coomoora slumped to 3/25. Johnston’s steading half-century – his seventh in DDCA Turf 1 – kept the Kangaroos from going back in to bat again, but the wily all-rounder could not find enough support at the non-striker’s end as only Joel Robertson (31) and Dan Caughey (17) stuck around. Parkfield spinner Travis D’Souza (4/58) beguiled the Kangaroos to open his account for season 2014/15 while Manjula Fernando (2/10) reaped the other multiple wicket tally.
Most sides would rear up at a 280-run chase, but Buckley Ridges (8/283) did it in style as they batted down the order to take a triumphant first-up win against last year’s runner-up Springvale South (8/279cc). Anchoring the innings was Simon Fonceca (99) who was cruelly denied his maiden Turf 1 century by Andrew Sharp (1/29) and an equally sharp catch from Dylan Quirk. The damage was done though as Matt Goodwright (44) and Paul Rudd (25 not out) steered the Ridges home with three balls remaining in the clash. Jarrod Armitage (3/89), Tim Ford (2/76) and Craig Slocombe (1/32) bowled the majority of overs as Armitage and Ford rattled off over 20 overs each.
North Dandenong (2/219) had the batting firepower to overcome a strong tally from Hallam Kalora Park (9/214cc) as Nasrat Mulkezada (85 not out) and Craig Gunawardana (63) pushed the tally along. Jurgen Andersen (22 not out) batted up the order and flourished to guide the Norths home after overcoming an injury that limited him to 3.3 overs last week.
Berwick versus Lyndale results were unavailable at time of publication.
DDCA TURF 1 FIXTURE (two-day match)
Round 2 (18/25 October)
Lyndale v North Dandenong
Dandenong West v Coomoora
Hallam Kalora Park v Springvale South
Heinz Southern Districts v Cranbourne
Buckley Ridges v Berwick
Parkfield v Mordialloc
