Cricket has finally kicked off in the Dandenong District Cricket Association and with that comes a new weekly segment – the Turf 1 Team of the Week.
The side will be selected with consideration of match context and team balance, but will ultimately hone in on overall contribution.
So here is the Turf 1 Team of the Week…
1. Ben Wright (Buckley Ridges): The Bucks skipper carried his bat for an entertaining 40 not out in Buckley Ridges’ first win of the summer. He crunched six fours and one six in the 18-over demolition of North Dandenong.
2. Ryan Quirk (Springvale South): The unlikeliest of opening combinations meets in the opening Team of the Week. The Bloods skipper played a similar hand to Wright, carving out an unbeaten 42 in Springy South’s small run chase. He struck eight boundaries and faced just 61 rocks. These two get the nod over a fellow opener who posted more for their not out status.
3. Dulan Waduge (Parkmore Pirates): Waduge came to the crease in the early stages of the innings and steadied the ship with a sublime 61. He was dismissed with 81 left to get, so will feel he left an unbeaten century behind at Carroll Reserve.
4. Damith Mapa Ralalage (Berwick): The only Bear to make the XI and one of just two players to have made the side from a losing cause. He was batting at a really difficult time, where the Hawks could do no wrong with the ball. He slides up to four from his original spot at five for team balance.
5. Raveen Nanayakkara (St Mary’s): The summer’s first centurion. Nanayakkara came to the crease in dire straits for the Saints, but resurrected the innings with a dazzling 120. He can’t be moved from number five and would make a good case to be skipper if there weren’t three winning captains in the side.
6. Ciaron Connolly (Hallam Kalora Park): One of the more difficult selections, but every side needs its gloveman. It wasn’t that Connolly didn’t perform, it’s that it was an extremely quiet week for wicket-keepers. He was involved in two of the three crucial run outs for the Hawks, had a clean sheet and made 33 himself.
7. Jordan Hammond (Hallam Kalora Park): Business as usual for the reigning Wookey Medallist. 1/35 with the ball and 54 not out from 68 rocks with the bat, he can probably add a few more votes to his name after that performance. He captains this side.
8. Avisha Wilwalaarchchi (Parkmore Pirates): The second Pirate to make the Team of the Week. Wilwalaarchchi chimed in late in both of the Parkmore innings, with 3/40 with the ball and an important 22 with the bat.
9. Yoshan Kumara (Springvale South): One of the more obvious selections for the Team of the Week, as Kumara had the new Kookaburra on a string in his return game for the Bloods. Rarely will a side lose a one-day game if a bowler takes 5/17 and Kumara’s performance is no exception.
10. Hussain Ali (Buckley Ridges): Ali’s figures of 4/7 off five hardly match the trend of Park Oval, but well and truly earn him a place in the Team of the Week. He was the fourth bowler used on Saturday for the Bucks and will likely be the same if this side was to take the field.
11. Sachith Jayasingha (Hallam Kalora Park): Every side needs its spinner and Jayasingha is a fine choice. Not only was he involved in two run outs, but he restricted the Bears with a smothering 1/23 from 12 overs, which included a whopping four maidens.
