By Nick Creely
DDCA TURF 1 & 2
REVIEW – ROUND 3 (DAY 1)
TURF 1
SPRINGVALE SOUTH v CRANBOURNE
Springvale South is in prime position for a massive win over Cranbourne, with the Bloods dominating the opening day at Alex Nelson Reserve.
Sent in to bat, Bloods openers Nathan King (54) and Michael Vandort (33) got the home side off to an 82-run opening, setting up the day perfectly for the middle order aggressors.
After being 1/95 at tea, and losing two early wickets almost immediately after the break – including the key scalp of former Eagle premiership captain Steve Spoljaric for a quick-fire 22, the Bloods were merciless, ploughing almost 200 runs to declare at 5/277 of 70 overs.
Dylan Quirk (77 not out) and Jack Sketcher (77) combined for an entertaining 130-run partnership to completely dominate, with the pair combining for 17 fours and three sixes.
Steve Miller (2/72) was the only Eagles bowler to take multiple wickets in a tough day out in the field.
Gun spinner Jarryd Straker (2/0) then struck two late wickets for the Bloods – including a wicket off the last ball of the day to leave Cranbourne 2/40 at stumps.
Jakeb McVicar (0) and skipper Lucas Ligt will resume next week with a big task at hand.
DANDENONG WEST v BERWICK
It took just three innings, but Berwick’s golden recruit Matt Chasemore struck his first century as a Bear in the Saturday/Sunday match with Dandenong West at Greaves Reserve.
In what turned out to be a thumping win for the Bears, ‘Cheeks’ came in after two early wickets, and struck eight sixes and six fours to anchor the innings with brilliance, and brought up his century with a trademark boundary over cow corner – it looms as the first of many at the journeyman’s latest club.
The faultless century lifted the Bears to 236 off just 50 overs, with skipper Jarrod Goodes chiming in with a brutal 31 off 21 balls.
Brad Sheehan (5/45) was brilliant with the ball for the Bulls, in what was the youngsters first game of Turf 1 cricket.
At stumps at the end of day one, a brilliant hat-trick by Goodes (5/25) saw the Bears have the Bulls 6/48, and hanging by a thread.
The Bulls returned to the crease on Sunday, and with club legend Greg Siwes (69 not out) carrying the bat for 68.2 overs in an extraordinary display of concentration, they survived another 40 overs to crawl to 106.
Goodes was the star, and bowled 13 maidens in his 21 overs, but Jarrod Armitage (2/16) was a class above and Cory Bevan (2/0) finished off the innings.
With 33 overs to go in the day, the Bulls managed to survive only two wickets down to avoid an outright defeat, finishing on 2/70.
DINGLEY v HALLAM KALORA PARK
Dingley president Kent Waring saved the day against Hallam on Saturday at Souter Oval, to leave the Dingoes in the game heading into day two.
After being sent in to bat, the Dingoes found themselves 7/54 as Hawks’ skipper Steve Gilmour (4/32) and Will Whyte (3/33) made life tough for the batsmen.
Waring then flashed some brilliance to make a counterattacking 57 off just 79 balls, and combined with Dinuka Hettiarchchi (40), put on almost 100 runs to creep the score up to a 150 off 62 overs.
With 18 overs left in the day, Hallam – off the back of its star batsmen Ben Hillard (10) and Leigh Booth (33) got through to stumps unscathed, with the score at 0/45.
NORTH DANDENONG v ST MARY’S
Mind-boggling bowling displays by Mitchel Minhas and Gayantha Wijethilaka saw North Dandenong steal the show in an extraordinary day of cricket by the Maroons at Lois Twohig Reserve.
After a tough start to the season, with some lacklustre results, the Maroons inflicted St Mary’s to an embarrassing first innings loss.
After being sent in on a “soft wicket”, the Maroons – off the back of a terrific 35 to Shehan Fernando – scratched their way to 126 off 52.3 overs, with Saints’ skipper Kaushyla Gajasinghe (4/31) and Keppler Fernandez (4/34) starring.
Syed Mehmood (29) and youngster Caleb Millman (23) also did well on a tricky pitch.
It turned out to be a more than competitive total in the end, with Minhas (6/19) and Wijethilaka (4/20) feasting on the Saints’ batting line up like hungry Tigers.
In just over an hour they single handedly bowled out St Mary’s for just 39 in a display that could get their season back on track after heavy losses to Mordialloc and Springvale South in the opening two rounds.
St Mary’s are currently 0/18 in their second dig.
HEINZ SOUTHERN DISTRICTS v NARRE WARREN
Heinz Southern Districts are staring down the barrel of a shock loss to Narre Warren at Reedy Reserve, with the Magpies just 47 runs away from victory.
Batting first, the Cobras’ top order was dismantled, with Hussain Ali (2/12) and skipper Craig Boswell (2/30) taking three early wickets to leave the score at 3/14.
In-form pair Kaushalya Weeraratne (38) and Michael Davies (27) took their time to resurrect the innings, and eventually helped lift the Cobras to 136 off 47.1 overs.
Talented spinner Imran Laghmani (5/38) took an exciting step forward in his development with his first five-wicket haul at Turf 1 level.
In reply, the Magpies are 5/90 and in the mix for a shock early season upset, with Laghmani (31 not out), Janaka Liyanabadalge (25) and Jarrod Russell (23) all among the runs.
Weeraratne (3/27) is in fine touch with the ball, and looms as the key if the Cobras are to defend the small total.
BUCKLEY RIDGES v MORDIALLOC
Day one of the clash between Buckley Ridges and Mordialloc at Park Oval was washed out, with the game to be a one-dayer next week.
TURF 2
Beaconsfield is engaged in a tight and tough battle with the powerful Narre South at Strathaird Reserve, with the Lions perhaps only slightly having its noses in front.
Sent in to face the music, Tigers’ skipper Matt Golding (57) once again proved a class above, and despite former UAE international Manjula Guruge (2/31) impressing in his Turf 2 debut, the visitors still scratched its way to 162 off 64 overs.
Gun all-rounder Ali Mortaza (4/72) continued his fine form with some more wickets.
The Tigers managed to snag an early wicket with seamer Callan Tout (1/17) picking up Joe Thomas (8), but Mortaza (35 not out) and Ashan Wijayakumara (11 not out) steadied late to finish the day on 1/61.
Narre North, meanwhile, have claimed first innings points over Lynbrook at Narre Warren North Reserve, with Josh Henry starring on day one.
The Lakers were rolled for just 99, with Henry (4/18) doing the bulk of the damage.
At stumps, the North is 4/105, with Henry top scoring with 35 at the top.
In other matches, Lyndale (161) were 50 runs short of being competitive against Parkmore Pirates, Fountain Gate (9/171) and Keysborough (0/4) will go down to the wire, while Silverton (217) did a great job with the bat to set up a fascinating day two against Parkfield.
