By JARROD POTTER
TAKING a rare representative hat-trick, the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) showed it’s still the region to beat with a 12-run grand final victory over VTCA South.
Continuing the stellar run which has seen the association with six of the last eight Neil Wright Shield grand finals, the Dandy boys shone once again on Sunday morning.
It was not as effortless as its round robin matches, but the DDCA endured the best of VTCA South’s batting and bowling to hold aloft the shield for the third season in a row.
“They always take it very seriously the DDCA – we always plan to win it but never believe we’ll do it easily,” DDCA under-21 coach Craig Slocombe said.
“We always just want to show the other associations we’re serious about improving our competition, with not just overseas talent but local kids too.
“The boys were really good – we didn’t have any out and out superstars, but this year the team gelled really well and that’s what probably won us the title.”
After early wickets forced him to curtail his natural game, Hallam’s Jagveer Hayer (67no) effectively carried his bat and became the rock-solid batsman the rest of the DDCA order could lean on.
With Springvale South’s Cameron Scott (33) holding on against the VTCA quicks, the DDCA duo quickly turned 2/11 into 3/92, but after then Hayer had to search for support.
The experienced middle order failed to fire as Travis D’Souza (10), Clay McCartney (4) and the skipper Jordan Hammond (9) couldn’t rouse much on the offensive front.
It left the scoring to Hayer, who continued his prolific VMCU campaign – knocking in his second half-century.
“We lost two early wickets – went in to bat and thought the ball would get a bit wet,” Slocombe said. “We moved Cam Scott in at four to see off the new ball and cash in – and he did that.
“The partnership along with Jaggers (Hayer) was the one of the innings … Jaggers batted the whole innings and was the main reason we got 166.
“He didn’t take many risks and wasn’t pretty, but from the team point of view that was what we needed … he had to bat for the team and 166 for us was good when it was definitely a seaming wicket.”
The response was dictated by VTCA South’s young Englishman Tom Smith (70) – who survived a second-ball edge that the umpire didn’t pick up.
The tall seamers finished the job after Smith’s departure with skipper Hammond (1/36), Matt Wetering (3/26) and Mitch Shirt (3/19) running through the rest of the tail to halt the Turf association’s innings at 154 and give the DDCA the premiership.
“We needed to get their Englishman Smith out – we got him snicked second ball and didn’t go out – probably the only person who didn’t hear it was the umpire,” Slocombe said. “He got 70 and went out with the score on 99 – that’s how dominant a player he is.
“Jordan Hammond came on and got a wicket and Shirt came back on and got three bowled – Wetering was brilliant again at the start and Jaggers was brilliant and got two wickets.”
Slocombe wanted to thank those in the DDCA who helped get the team up and ready – especially Ray Nicholls, Steve Richards, Phil Ford, Michael Hawking, Neil Shaw and Peter the former coach Peter Lindsay.
DDCA U21 SQUAD: BERWICK – Lachlan Lawrance, Ryan Williamson. COOMOORA – Joel Robertson. DANDENONG WEST – Clayton McCartney. DOVETON NORTH – Matthew Jameson. HALLAM KALORA PARK – Jordan Hammond (captain), Jagveer Hayer. LYNBROOK – Jessie Wallia. NARRE NORTH – Josh Presta. NARRE WARREN – Mitchell Shirt. PARKFIELD – Joe Barrett, Travis D’Souza. SPRINGVALE SOUTH – Cameron Scott, Matthew Wetering.
