By Jonty Ralphsmith
It was all about Mark Cooper in his first game in Beaconsfield colours.
The recruit from West Gippsland took no time readjusting to turf, taking five wickets with his accurate leggies, before combining with Tyler Clark for a 78-run opening partnership to setup the run chase.
The medium-fast bowling of Cal Tout and Jake Cutting put Parkfield, weakened by the absence of Matthew Goodier, on the back foot early as they bowled tightly and didn’t give any easy scoring opportunities.
Nathaniel Cramer and Dishan Malalasekera’s defences were beaten by Tout who continued to probe their off-stump.
Meanwhile, Cutting finished wicketless, but in conceding just 10 runs from his seven straight overs upfront, he allowed the spinners to bowl with an aggressive mindset searching for wickets.
When Cooper claimed Stephen Cannon plum LBW as he tried to hit across the line in the skipper’s first over, the hosts were right in the driver’s seat.
Riley Payne at the other end had been completely tied down, ultimately facing 21 dots in a row before scoring his third run – he finished with 24 – and the team’s run rate after 15 overs was well under two.
The tight fielding, low, slow wicket and heavy Perc Allison outfield all served to complement the disciplined bowling.
The slowness of the outfield was typified by a Stephen Cannon smoking drive through the covers off a Jack Birchill full toss which held up inside the rope.
Cooper and left arm spinner Ashan Madushanka bowled 24 of the final 31 overs, which gave Parkfield little chance to instil momentum into the innings.
Cooper ran through the middle order and it was just a late cameo from Zaron Chanel that got Parkfield up to 9/120 off their 45.
Roshane Cooray did his best to defend the low total, conceding just six runs from his five overs, but Goodier’s absence with the ball was also telling, as the Beaconsfield batters went at almost five an over off the other bowlers.
Clark anchored the run chase with 48 runs off 76 deliveries.
OTHER RESULTS:
Cranbourne defeated Keysborough by seven wickets with 42 balls to spare.
Who else but the Sweeney boys to be at the crease when the winning runs were hit for Cranbourne?
After scoring 910 runs between them including eight half-centuries and one century last season, the brothers started this season with a bang.
Chasing a modest 155 for victory, the pair’s 50-run partnership – Peter 27, Mick 37 – guided their team to victory at Casey Fields.
It came after recruits Jayden Scotland and Jakeb Thomas set the game up for Cranbourne with five wickets between them, including Thomas getting the big wicket of Christo Otto for just two.
Their bowling ignited a mini-collpase as Keysborough lost 5/9 after a swashbuckling 37-run opening stand.
Scotland and Thomas provided plenty of chances and half chances in their spells as Keysborough didn’t have full control when facing them. Thomas was expensive early, before bringing it back somewhat as he claimed his three wickets in the space of two overs, ultimately finishing with an economy rate of 5.8 from his 10 overs.
Peter Sweeney also did it with the ball, his left-arm finger spin cleaning up the lower order as he bowled 12 overs straight through the middle overs for4/26 off 12.
It came after efficient scores of 33 and 44 to number six Yohan Arumadura and number seven Hennadige Fernando resurrected the Keysborough innings. The pair chanced their arm late but Keysborough’s score always looked sub-par on a hard Casey Fields wicket.
Heinz Southern Districts defeted Doveton by eight wickets with 186 balls to spare.
MATCH SUMMARY: It was a sorry return to turf two cricket for the aspirational Doveton Cricket Club, outclassed in all facets by HSD. The absence of Simon Mackie, Ryan Hendy and Adam Read who all made up the middle order in last year’s premiership side left a gaping hole. Opener Mitch Daley hit Triyan de Silva out of the attack, taking him for 33 off his first two overs, but once the opening partnership was broken, Doveton lost 10/23. Ryan Patterson claimed five wickets as Doveton was bowled out after just 20 overs. Brent Patterson helped himself to 43 as HSD easily made the total after seeing off opening bowlers Kenneth Smart and Trent Rolfs.
Narre Warren defeated Lyndale by 135 runs
