By JARROD POTTER
DDCA – Turf 1 to Turf 3 semi-finals review
WHO would have thought 136 could be competitive in a final.
Springvale South (136) showed there’s no giving up in Bloods territory as the home-side managed to surprise Mordialloc (9/172) late on day one.
It went pear-shaped at the start for the Bloods as Nathan King (2) ran himself out before the next five batsmen fell within nine runs of each other as the likes of Stuart Squires, Chathura Athukorala and Monto Perera started searing through the Springvale South line-up.
Gallant knocks came from Jackson Sketcher (30) and captain Craig Slocombe (16) to arrest the bleeding, but they too would succumb to the Bloodhounds after a gutsy 46-run stand.
It left the tail to wag, and wag especially hard at that, to give the Bloods anything worth defending.
Luckily for Springvale South, the tail is long and the tail is talented.
Harry Staude (28no) and Jarrod Armitage (13) rallied the first passage of stellar defence, pushing the Bloods near enough to triple figures before Armitage had a brain-fade and swept his way back to the pavilion.
It brought in a unique number 11, in that this one has four centuries this season, including one already on Saturday.
Bloods young gun Ryan Quirk (21) came to the crease at last drop – already knackered after batting all morning in the under-17s final, making 100 retired not out against Endeavour Hills. He couldn’t rest on his laurels though as the Bloods needed someone to champion the innings. Alongside Staude, the duo added 44 for the final wicket – important runs in context of this match. The duo had to see off Athukorala and Perera, but managed to edge their way towards something respectable before Quirk’s knock came to an end after 60 balls.
At stumps, Jarrod Armitage (4/68) and Yoshan Kumara (3/40) had bowled their side back in to the match with 22 overs cannoned into the Bloodhounds between them. Armitage’s third scalp – a straightening fuller bowl the umpire had to give out LBW – reduced Mordialloc to its tail ahead of Sunday’s resumption.
Mordialloc held on at the death on Sunday, batting around Stuart Squires (41) as Athukorala (27) and Cameron Tomkinson (19) ensured the Bloodhounds would secure first innings points and bat out enough overs to prevent the outright. Craig Slocombe and Monto Perera would shake hands after 69 overs with the Bloodhounds off to face the Cobras this week for the Turf 1 flag.
CRANBOURNE v HEINZ SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
A little from a lot of Cobras led Heinz Southern Districts (216) to an imposing tally against ladder-leading Cranbourne (1/1).
Heinz will rue its chances to cash in and dispose of any Eagles’ chance as four batsmen went past 25, but none cashed in for 50. Matt Cox (38) and Michael Davies (32) led the middle order charge after Adam Semmens (32) and Matt Downe (28) kicked off proceedings at Casey Fields. Steve Spoljaric (2/36) proved tough to get off the square, while Te Ahu Davis (1/63) rattled off 10 maidens in his 25 overs. The wickets would come through Cam Kelly (3/27) and Martin Kelly (2/31) as the Cobras could not finish the job en route to a steep, but chaseable 216. That chase didn’t start well for the Eagles as Brayden Roscoe (0) succumbed to Chad Van Estrop (1/0) before stumps.
Not even a solo Cranbourne (152) knock from Steve Spoljaric (88) could halt Heinz as the visitors advance to the grand final.
TURF 2
IN a very Narre semi-finals, Narre South, Narre North and Narre Warren are in the mix for finals, while St Brigids/St Louis rounds out the four hunting a place in Turf 1 next season.
After last year’s demotion – following a controversial draw after their pitch was tampered – it looks like Narre Warren (133 and 5/131) could be one clash away from a Turf 1 return.
Narre North (115 and 143) could not match the might of the Magpies – especially spearhead bowling from the skipper Kaushalya Weeraratne (6/31), who speared through for his fourth five-wicket haul this year. The lower-order fight of Abid Ali (38) was the only knock of note for the home side as the remaining attack fell to Weeraratne and his devastating first up spell. The reply was quick and painless as Narre Warren took the points on the back of David Wheeler (48).
The Northern resistance was fleeting again in the second innings as Ali (30) held the innings together from the tail. Wheeler (4/20) and Weeraratne (3/28) made sure there wouldn’t be any reverse shenanigans as they worked their way through the attack.
Weeraratne (52no) capped off his superb clash with an equally impressive half-ton to guide the Magpies home to the emphatic outright victory and book a spot against St Brigids/St Louis in the grand final this week at Arch Brown Reserve.
St Brigids/St Louis (220) made sure it would not be easy for Narre South (146) as Mark Jamieson (61) and Paul Dunn (45) excelled at the top of the order. Despite the best efforts of Ali Mortaza (6/32) – taking career best figures when it matters most – the Lions could not halt the visitors’ charge at Straithaird Reserve on Saturday. Aaron Douglas (3/37) was the other main wicket taker for the Lions.
The Lions struggled in response and could only muster 146 with Brendan Wilson (27) top-scoring.
TURF 3
Aspendale (242) is well placed to make it one premiership from one DDCA season as it smashed past Springvale South (99). Joshua Boyle (91) led the charge for the Dales alongside Chris Cleef (34) and number 11 Johnathan Whiteoak (21no). Mitchell Forsyth (3/50) was the top Blood from the bowling crease. The response was tepid and lacklustre from the Bloods as Forsyth (10) batted out 91 balls but could not see off the likes of Cleeg (4/9) or Travis Campbell (3/17). After 60 overs, Springvale South finally succumbed.
Dingley (92 and 77) squeaked by North Dandenong (84 and 7/166dec) to take first innings points, but the last laugh went to the Northerners. A shared bowling force rattled through the Northerners without much resistance. In reply, Dingley’s skipper Travis Sawers (27no) saw off the worst of the Northern attack to guide his side to first innings points.
The problems started for Dingley in the second innings as North Dandenong rallied around Syed Mehmood (38), Janahan Kumaralingam (27) and a stellar not out performance from Adam Read (36no) to blast the rapid-fire tally in only 35 overs. Mehmood (6/21) would be the all-round hero of the day as he rattled off 16 overs to skittle Dingley for 77 in 49 overs as the sun started setting over Souter Reserve. David Bell (3/15) was also impressive, firing off 11 maidens.
Aspendale will face North Dandenong at Hallam Reserve in the two-day grand final this week.
