By JARROD POTTER
DDCA – TWENTY20 GRAND FINAL
DELIGHT and disaster – these were the contrasting fortunes in Springvale South’s Twenty20 premiership win over Buckley Ridges.
While the Bloods had a phenomenal outing – riding the luck and rattling over the Ridges cheaply after sending the hosts in – there was nothing that went right for D.J. Watson’s men.
It started with a lost toss, as Springvale South sent Buckley Ridges in on a greenish deck, and only got worse as skipper Watson (0) immediately fell.
Imports Sunsantha Pradeep (20) and Kunal Kapoor (15) made a quick fightback – as Pradeep put a couple of slapped sixes over the rope – but, alongside marquee Jaime Brohier (7), none of the top order particularly fired.
Wickets fell in clumps and worse still for the hosts, Buckley Ridges could not cash in off the part-timers.
Bloods’ skipper Brett Forsyth (1/11) – Springvale South’s marquee player – and Brayden Sharp (1/17) were miserly through the middle overs, holding Buckley Ridges down at the critical juncture.
Suren Ekanayake (18 not out) and Cal O’Hare (12) rotated the strike wherever they could, but couldn’t hit the boundary ball – all the more problematic on the postage stamp that is Park Oval.
A six and a four from Troy Aust (18 not out) set the bar at 121 for Springvale South to hunt down a second Twenty20 title in as many years.
The response was well-weighted from the Bloods as Forsyth (24 not out) anchored the effort and rotated the strike to his more powerful counterparts.
While the Ridges’ ground-fielding was solid, the chances did not fall their way at all.
Michael Vandort (44) rode his luck – avoiding an easy run-out, a stumping and a near-miss catch all in the same over – after he got onto the likes of Lukas Hoogenboom (1/21) and Watson (1/21) early.
Vandort’s dismissal only brought out more pain for Buckley Ridges.
Nathan King (46) viciously destroyed the opponents, but once again rode his luck with a couple of near misses on the rope.
O’Hare got finger tips to two full-blooded swats into the boundary, but couldn’t hold on as it bobbled out of his hands.
King seized the second life to smash the next two balls into the trees to all but end the innings, leaving Forsyth to strike final few runs to clinch the Bloods their first 2015/16 cup.
It started with a good toss to win and Forsyth wanted to cash in with a run-chase and wait for the deck to even out.
“We normally think runs on the board – that’s how we won last year’s T20 grand final, but the wicket had a tinge of green,” Forsyth said.
“Didn’t want to waste a ball by going slow at the start, and we trust in the bowlers and fielders, and to play the cricket we want to our plan.
“I knew if our top seven batted those 15 or so overs out we’d get home and that was the case – it went to script I suppose.”
It makes for another DDCA flag for the Turf 1 powerhouse and while Forsyth is a Dandenong mainstay, he was thrilled to play his part for the Bloods even if it’s just in the Wednesday night competition.
“I’m lucky I came from such a good club as we’ve got so many good players and so many nice people as well,” Forsyth said.
“It’s fantastic to get back and play with them and give a bit back to my club.”
