By RUSSELL BENNETT
DANDENONG DISTRICT CRICKET ASSOCIATION
TURF 1
CRANBOURNE v PARKFIELD
THE Eagles have a fight on their hands if they’re to maintain top spot on the Turf 1 ladder after being dismissed for 171 on the first day of their clash with Parkfield at Casey Fields.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Cranbourne lost both openers early – Brayden Roscoe (0) and skipper Steve Spoljaric (10) – before recovering through the middle order to mount a defensible total. Jordan Cleland top-scored with 34, while Cameron Dinger added 31.
Hemantha Jayasundera led the Parkfield attack with 3/27 from 16 overs, while Nilochana Perera and Travis D’Souza finished with 2/22 and 2/48 respectively.
Parkfield got off to a shaky start in its reply – losing opener Joe Barrett (5) early – and will resume this week on 1/14.
DANDENONG WEST v BUCKLEY RIDGES
Buckley Ridges is well and truly in the box seat against Dandy West at Greaves Reserve, having won the toss and amassed 9/278 in their 80 overs.
Jayson Hobbs (39) and Paul Rudd (81) piled on 113 for the first wicket – setting the tone for the rest of the innings.
All told, each of the top seven batsmen scored in double figures, with Susantha Pradeep (43) and skipper Daniel Watson (31) providing great support for the openers.
Andrew Harry (5/69) and Shaun Weir (3/68) were the pick of the West’s attack.
SPRINGVALE SOUTH v HALLAM KALORA PARK
South will be in search of outright points this Saturday after cruising past Hallam Kalora Park in the first innings at Alex Nelson Reserve on the weekend.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors were rolled for 102 in just 34 overs with skipper Leigh Booth (20) and Matt Foenander (22) the only batsmen to reach the 20s. South needed just three bowlers for their demolition job, with speedster Jarrod Armitage (5/57) leading the way.
Springvale wasted no time in their reply either, finishing with a handy lead at the close of the first day’s play on 7/194. Tim Ford (60) brought up a quickfire half-century, while Armitage (20) and James Giertz (4) are the not out batsmen heading into day two.
NORTH DANDENONG v LYNDALE
North Dandy is in a similar position against Lyndale after an impressive day-one showing at Lois Twohig Reserve.
After being sent in to bat, Lyndale was rolled for just 104 in 47 overs but the situation would have been even more dire if not for the efforts of Farazur Rahman (45).
Shane Clark led the North Dandy attack with 3/18, while Michael De Kauwe (2/7) and Matin Sultani (2/28) finished with two wickets apiece.
The home side will resume this week on 5/132.
Skipper Nasrat Malikzada led the way early with 49, while Uzair Qureshi (18) and Sultani (5) are the not out batsmen.
MORDIALLOC v BERWICK
Despite chasing just 149 for first innings points against Mordialloc at Ben Kavanagh Reserve, Berwick is in all sorts of trouble after the first day’s play.
An unbeaten Chathura Athukorala (68) half-century proved vital in the home side’s modest total, with Jack Williams tearing through the line-up with 5/35.
But three quick wickets to Stuart Squires (3/15) has Berwick battling at 4/50 heading into day two. Williams (6) and Ryan Crawford (20) are the not out batsmen.
NARRE WARREN v HEINZ SOUTHERN DISTRICTS
The stage is set for an enthralling second day’s play at Sweeney Reserve after the home side Narre Warren was dismissed for 175 on Saturday.
After losing opener Atishsinh Chouhan (0) without a run on the board, Narre steadied with a 56-run stand between Wendell Perumal (32) and Nick Shirt (5).
From there, a couple of timely knocks from Stuart Plunkett (26) and skipper Kaushalya Weeraratne (39) helped drive the total towards 200. Justin Davis (2/6) and Brad Downe (2/34) led a particularly even spread of contributors in the HSD bowling attack.
The visitors will resume this week at 0/6.
