By Tyler Lewis
Berwick spearhead Andrew Perrin is emerging as an early season smokey for the prestigious Allan Wookey medal.
Perrin has started the season in outstanding fashion and continued that on the weekend in another clinical display with the ball.
After his side was forced to chase, Perrin took the new ball and bowled with sensational control and electricity, collecting the first – and massive – wicket of Kasun Niranjana.
Whenever St Mary’s appeared to re-collect its early stumble and set a reasonable total, Perrin would have another impact.
After his 11 overs, the right-armer finished with 4/28.
Amazingly, Perrin’s season average sits at just 8.90 – snaring 10 wickets for just 89 runs. Even more impressive when he has unwillingly added seven of those runs himself through sundries.
Bears skipper James Wilcock was also terrific with the ball, claiming 3/23 from 11.5.
As a result of the neat bowling display, the Bears restricted the home side to just 102.
The Berwick opening pair of Jordan Cleland and Lachlan Brown got the visiting unit off to another brilliant start, putting 56 on the board before the fall of the first wicket.
Unlike last week, the Bears lost a trio of wickets along the way, losing Brown (40), Cleland (26) and Brodie Emmett (4).
Matt Chasemore (27 not out) and Damith Mapa Ralalage (4 not out) guided the Bears to a second dominant victory in succession.
It was a see-sawing affair down at Straithard Reserve between Narre South and Springvale South, but it was ultimately the Lions who came away victorious.
After being sent in, the Bloods got off to a horror start, losing Mitch Forsyth (0) to a fired up Tim Phillips (4/53).
The Bloods then lost skipper Paul Hill and exciting recruit Jordy Wyatt, leaving the premiership fancies 3/35.
A resurgence from Ryan Quirk and Jackson Sketcher steered the Bloods back on track, as the pair put on a marvellous 125 run stand for the fourth wicket.
Sketcher was the first to depart from the stand, for 55 from 88 balls, a knock that included three dazzling maximums, before Quirk (73) departed in a mini collapse for the Bloods.
After losing 3/7, the Lions looked to have wrestled back some momentum late, but it was the late hitting of Blade Baxter and Akshat Buch that got the Bloods to a more than competitive 7/192 from its 45.
It may some insubstantial on paper, but 13 from nine balls with two boundaries from Baxter and nine from six balls with one boundary from Buch is exactly what the visiting side needed.
The Lions too got off to a horror start with the bat, losing its first wicket for just four runs.
But it was all smooth sailing from there, with Harsha De Silva blitzing 82 from just 86 deliveries, smacking ten boundaries and two over the rope.
52 from 42 balls from Kaushalya Weeraratne guided the Lions home with time to spare, passing the Bloods target in just 40.4 overs.
Jayde Herrick bowled for the first time this season, but could only push through three overs, conceding 20 runs.
Buckley Ridges, meanwhile, secured a controlled win over reigning premiers Hallam Kalora Park.
The Bucks sent the Hawks in on their home track and the Hawks cashed in, setting 7/178 from its 45 overs.
Leigh Booth (58) and Matthew Cox (55) were the pick of the bats, while Matthew Goodwright collected the scalps of the top three bats at different stages on his way to 3/53 from 12.
On the big space that in the Hawks home deck, a wicketless start was imperial for the Bucks.
And while it seemed to have achieved so with 39 runs on the board for no loss, a minor shake was sent through the camp when it lost 3/16 – Sachith Jayasingha doing the brunt of the damage.
But the Bucks were ultimately driven to victory off the blade of Mahela Udawatte, the recruit crunched 81 from 84 deliveries, reaching the rope 11 times, and securing the Bucks victory.
Michael Davies finished with 22 not out, launching two sixes as his side passed the Hawks with three balls to spare.
North Dandenong has landed a triumphant win over Narre Warren after a clinical first innings display with the ball.
The home side won the toss and confidently sent the Narre Warren outfit in.
It paid dividends with the Maroons castling the Pies for just 86.
Each of the seven bowlers used collected a wicket, but it was Javed Khan who was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 2/16 from five over and – more importantly – the first two wickets of the match, setting the tone for the afternoon.
The home side had no troubles sinking the Pies, reaching the benchmark in just 15.3 overs.
Syed Mehmood had no interest in hanging around, or running between the wickets, whacking five fours and three sixes in his 44.
Gloveman Redwan Laghmani was terrific with 32 not out in the run chase.
