By Marcus Uhe
A series of intriguing results in round 13 has left plenty riding on the last week of action in DDCA Turf 1 cricket.
Much of the attention was focused on the events at Hallam Rec Reserve, with North Dandenong clinging to fourth place, attempting to hold the Lions of Narre South at bay, who sit one game behind them on the ladder.
Things were looking up for Narre South, as North Dandenong’s top order struggled against the experienced Hallam Kalora Park bowling attack.
Ramneet Dhindsa (0), Javed Khan (11) and Rajitha Ranaweera (8) were all removed in the first 10 overs as the Maroons stumbled to 3/39.
A Captain’s knock from Clayton McCartney of 80 from 105 balls, and 35 from Austin Heldt, helped to rectify the innings, and the total was supplemented by some serious hitting from the lower order.
Tennis players were forced to duck for cover as Muhammad Khan (60 off 35) and Tahsinullah Sultani (34 form 22) added 59 from the final five overs to post 7/250 from their 45.
The Hawks top order did as they often do, getting their side off to a steady start in the chase.
Playing-coach Matthew Cox hit his highest score of the campaign to date, whipping balls through the leg-side with ease on his way to 38 before he became the first of Imran Laghmani’s victims.
The spinner, in just his fourth Turf 1 outing for the season, was superb for the Maroons, taking 5/46 and removing the dangerous Jordan Hammond (28) and Leigh Booth (42) in the process, along with Cox.
Hammond’s dismissal, an excellent low-catch taken by Sultani at short third man, proved somewhat of a turning point, as the middle order, starved of opportunities in recent weeks, failed to fire.
From 3/152, the Hawks were dismissed for 207 in the final over, meaning North Dandenong hold-on to fourth, for now.
At Strathaird Reserve, with the Maroons’ early stumble and the Lions looking comfortable at 1/100, things were looking up for Matthew Brooks’ side, looking to equal North Dandenong on points and close the marginal percentage gap with a win over Parkmore.
But Ammar Bajwa had other ideas.
The off-spinner bowled his 12 overs uninterrupted, as he made a mess of Narre South’s middle order, taking 5/45.
Kyle Hardy’s demotion down the order to number five proved unsuccessful, holing-out to mid-on for just two, to become Bajwa’s second scalp.
Poor fielding from Parkmore, and clean hitting from Zach Wilson, however, produced a stain on an otherwise excellent bowling performance from the Pirates.
The tall Englishman hit 22 off 15, including a crucial four off the final ball of the innings, to push the total to 8/184.
The Pirates came to rue a pair of dropped chances in the final over, including one off Wilson, but would have liked their chances chasing the target.
Wilson would remain a thorn in the Pirates’ side for the remainder of the afternoon, thanks to an excellent spell with the ball.
Led at the top by Johann Brohier’s 40, all of Parkmore’s top five made it to double figures, but building partnerships proved difficult as Wilson and Hardy took regular wickets.
Amal Athulathmudali and Jaime Brohier’s 36-run partnership in the middle order was the strongest of the innings, but a wild 31st over changed the direction of the match.
Athulathmudali hit Wilson for 14 off the first two balls, before he was caught behind off the third ball over the over.
Two deliveries later, Wilson had Madhawa Fonseka on his way back to the pavilion, as 3/118 become 5/119.
When he took his fifth, removing the last recognised batter in Jaime Brohier for 37 in the third-last over, Parkmore required 15 runs off the last 16 deliveries.
Seven off the 44th meant they needed another seven from the final over to win, and jump St Mary’s to move out of last place on the table.
But like he did in the final over with the bat, Wilson held his own with the ball in the last over, conceding just three, as the Lions held on, to keep their finals chances alive.
Other results in Turf 1 saw Springvale South seal top spot with a win over Berwick, and Buckley Ridges return to second after defeating St Mary’s.
At Arch Brown Reserve, Berwick struggled to find any traction against the Bloods attack.
Damith Mapa Ralagale top scored for the Bears with 49 off 53, but too much was left to too few.
Yoshan Kumara’s 2/25 was the pick of the Springvale South bowling figures, who held their opponents to 6/187 batting first.
Despite their opening pair failing to fire, the Bloods chased the total with 6.3 overs remaining.
Cam Forsyth (66) and Blade Baxter (57) shared a 112-run stand to close out the victory, and seal their position at the top of the table with one week remaining.
Buckley Ridges, missing their regular opening pair through injury, wobbled early in their batting innings, with Ben Wright’s promotion to the top of the order proving unsuccessful.
Jake Cronin, Mahela Udawatte and Troy Aust all contributed with starts, but Cronin and Hadigallage Jayaratne’s dismissals in successive balls by Raveen Nanayakkara had Buckley in an unfamiliar position at 4/86.
It was left to Michael Davies, who played a composed 101-ball innings of 61 not out, to guide the remainder of the innings, and set 211 for victory.
Jayaratne produced his best performance of the year with the ball, taking 4-47 as the Saints fell 37 runs short.
Junaid Kari topscored with 42, but his dismissal with the score at 81 precipitated a collapse of 8/93.
It leaves St Mary’s dangerously close to bottom-place and still in the mix to be relegated.
