By JARROD POTTER
VSDCA – South East 1st XI Round 10 (day two)
NOT even a gutsy century from Issy Perera could guide Noble Park (233) to victory against Oakleigh (253).
In a VSDCA grand-final rematch, the heavy lifting was left to a handful of the Bulls as the rest capitulated against Ben Pinwill (5/74).
Continuing a scintillating season, Perera (103) notched his second hundred in 2014/15 to keep hope alive for the home side.
His 2014/15 efforts so far – 467 runs at 51.9 – have kept Noble Park alive in a number of close calls and his services were required again on Saturday… and in greater amounts than usual.
Chris Lee (26) bunkered down – absorbing 92 balls of relentless pressure from the Oakleigh attack – to stick with the flying number four Perera while Rizan Mawzoon (28) belted a run-a-ball 28 to reel the target in closer and help out Perera in his own quickfire way.
These partnerships were worth 71 and 67 respectively to bring the target within the Bulls’ grasp, but there were two aspects Perera didn’t have under control.
He couldn’t keep his partners at the other end, as Noble Park lost wickets in the crunch moments, and Perera also ran out of overs.
Either one of those partnerships could have blossomed into the game-winner, but Oakleigh stomped out the tail in lightning-fast succession as Mawzoon and Dirk Vandergert (0) were run-out stopping any partnerships forming.
Perera would raise his bat on the second ton in three rounds, but his mind was focused on the final 20 runs, which unfortunately would never come. Ash Perera (9) and Michael Klonaridis (1 not out) kept the tempo going, but Perera would finally succumb to Pinwill and bring to a close a sensational innings-defining knock.
Noble Park falls to eighth on the VSDCA ladder and now face Bayswater away.
ENDEAVOUR HILLS v MALVERN
THE young Eagles soared highest, but Endeavour Hills (240) also found itself just short of a sizeable target against Malvern (8/256).
Zach Allen (48) – fresh off his Victorian Under-19s duties – started the innings emphatically as he struck towards another half-ton. He would be brought undone, after a 78-run opening stand with Thomas Hafil (27), as his pegs were sent flying. Ben Swift (54) was the next young Eagle to get his eye in and bludgeoned his third half-century of the season to keep the score ticking along. The overs would creep up on Endeavour Hills and with wickets falling consistently, it spelled disaster. The last ditch efforts of Richard Saniga (26) and Vaughan Baxter (25) weren’t enough as the Eagles fell 16 short.
Endeavour Hills is seventh and now take on wooden-spoon contenders Moorabbin.
