By Jonty Ralphsmith
COOMOORA IN OMINOUS TOUCH
Coomoora has sent a stern message in its final home-and-away match against Fountain Gate.
The Roos were in ominous touch, bowling the visitors out for 145 on a typically flat deck before punishing the Fountain Gate bowling attack to reach the target in 22 overs.
It was as much a display of discipline, as power hitting, as the Roos defended the good balls knowing loose-ones would come in slippery conditions as rain fell in the second innings.
While skipper Lance Baptist made only 20, a back-foot-punching lofted off drive – on the up – off pacer Hasindu Waduge signalled he’s in good form heading into finals, as is opening partner Rahoul Pankhonia (42 off 46).
They went at seven an over in the first five overs, confident to go over the top as Fountain Gate bowlers struggled for control.
Charith Fernando, Thanura Halambage, and Dean Krelle also spent some time in the middle to ensure they’ve got several names primed for finals.
Earlier, Roos bowlers Nick Lloyd got some sideways movement under heavy clouds and looked the most dangerous of the bowlers, nabbing 2-17 off six, while Michael Klonaridis and Krelle chipped in as usual.
For Fountain Gate, Mandeep and Davi Premi and Karun Singh all got starts, with Davi Premi’s lower-order 20 impressive as the hard hitter put away the big shots as he looked to bat through, before eventually skying one, cuing the quick loss of the rest of the batting order.
The opening partnership was worth 45 before frequent wickets fell thereafter, highlighting the hosts’ confidence in their plans and skill execution.
DOVETON AND HAMPTON PARK RELEGATED
Doveton will bounce straight back down to Turf 3 after managing just three wins in the Turf 2 competition, while Hampton Park could only nab one win in Turf 3.
There was enough to be excited about at the Doves, who were pushing the top-four prior to Christmas before being unable to get six points thereafter.
Wins over Narre Warren, which last season was in Turf 1, premiership fancies Cranbourne, and also Narre South in the T20 quarterfinal, demonstrated a level of structured discipline and skill exceeding teams usually relegated.
Doveton was stiff in an even competition.
Three tight losses, against Lyndale twice and Parkfield, stung a club which reached the semi-finals of the T20 competition this season.
The last five clubs to finish bottom of Turf 2 have sat on 15, 9, 9 and 15 points, with the closest a wooden-spooner across any Turf grade has been to Doveton’s 24 points in the last five years being Berwick Springs’ 21 in the 2020-21 Turf 3 competition.
They were expected to gain ex-test player Darren Pattinson for a few games, among some others which never came to fruition, and had to chop and change the lineup for the first part of the season due to unavailability.
But the club’s reliance on two players, Ryan Hendy and to a lesser degree Nathan Wilson, who won’t be in the First XI next season, underscores that the right team has been relegated.
Whereas seventh-placed Keysborough were plagued by inconsistency from a couple of contributors that would be expected to bounce back next season, while lesser names showed enough promise, Doveton would likely have struggled in 2023-24.
Already with a brittle middle order and short a quality pace bowler, those absences next season would have left them vulnerable on all fronts as they undergo something of a changing of the guard.
Meanwhile, Hampton Park was clearly the weak link in the Turf 3 competition, bowled out for less than 120 on six occasions, including thrice for less than 100.
There was constant upheaval in the XI, skipper James Kellett, batter James Lacey and bowlers Abdul Aziz Jabbar Khil and Asadullah Khil about the only staples of the team throughout the season.
The Redbacks also had to contend with a barely playable pitch at Robert Booth Reserve.
THAT’S NOT A SIGN-OFF…THAT’S A SIGN-OFF
He’d convinced all and sundry that last week was going to be his final game.
But watching his brother-in-law and skipper Nathan ‘Nanga’ Wilson retire from the sidelines, unceremoniously in an away clash against Lyndale, didn’t sit right with Hendy.
He wanted to be out there, helping Wilson get one final victory – and save Doveton from Turf 2 relegation.
Released of the pressure and emotions of last week’s occasion, Hendy went out and smoked it from ball one.
Opening the batting, he was going at more than a run-a-ball and continued accelerating.
The all-rounder hit three boundaries in both the sixth and 14th over, continuing to go after the bowlers after Ricky Johnson – and later Simon Mackie – were dismissed.
He finished with 68 off 42 including seven fours and five maximums.
It helped offset the typical Doveton middle-order collapse which came and gave Doveton 172 to bowl out.
Wilson scored 19 off 61, batting at five in his final dig, providing steady resistance to help the Doves bat the overs.
Hendy opened the bowling and in-tune with his typical competitiveness, bowled nine overs upfront to put the Doves on the front foot.
He claimed the first three wickets, including the important scalp of Himesh Galhenage Don after the opener had launched him for four sixes in the seven preceding deliveries.
He returned to bowl his final three after the fall of Lyndale’s fifth wicket and was able to send another back to the sheds, opposing skipper Brendan Ash.
Ultimately, Wilson opted to bowl his front-line bowlers out upfront to try and sustain pressure which allowed Lyndale to steady the ship thereafter and win by four wickets.
Wilson finished with figures of 0-35 off 12 in his last outing.
DANDY WEST’S DIACONO FINDS FORM
Dandenong West ‘keeper-opening batter Dylan Diacono set up his team’s win over Berwick Springs with a well-constructed 52.
The visitors brushed aside Berwick Springs, winning by 76 runs in its final tune-up before finals.
Having averaged just eight in his past seven knocks after a promising start to the season, Diacono was the one player in need of a big score entering finals.
Skipper Anthony Brannan explained the club has great faith in the youngster’s skill-set.
“We don’t need 60s or 70s from Dyl and he knows that,” Brannan said.
“He’s got a role to play, and he hasn’t done it every week, but more often than not he has got us through to the 10-12 over mark which sets the game up for us.
“We’re developing a young player – he’s only 21, so he might play another 16 or 17 years at the club.
“There’s a fine line between developing Dyl and winning games.
“At the moment we feel like he’s our best option at number one.
“He was good on Saturday, he knocked the ball around and waited for his moment.
“We’ve been talking about when he has to put the foot down and developing him as a one-day cricketer because his go is two-day cricket.
“When Shaun (Weir) got out he took the lead role and allowed Nathan (Power) and myself to get in.
“He hit a couple of boundaries including a six over mid-off which kept our score ticking along.”
BEACONSFIELD’s MIDDLE-ORDER EXPOSED
It was bound to happen, and finally a team has managed to dismiss Mark Cooper and Tyler Clark cheaply.
With an average opening partnership coming into the weekend of 63, and the Tigers having never yet this season been two wickets down for less than 39, the middle-order had not been exposed to pressure.
Against Cranbourne, missing Harsaroup Singh through injury, Beaconsfield had both openers back in the sheds before the score passed 20.
For the first time all season, Clark was dismissed for less than 20 and there was no foundation to work with.
Finally given the opportunity, no-one in the middle-order was able to bat through.
Riley Clark spent some time in the middle in making 24, while Mitch Tielen finished unbeaten on 19.
But batters were unable to freely rotate the strike as 188 dot balls were bowled stunting Beaconsfield’s run-rate.
Ashan Madushanka has showed he could stand up earlier in the season, making 96, albeit against Keysborough, which finished seventh.
Lachie Ramage was promoted up the order to try and resurrect the innings by playing his natural steady game, but failed.
Tielen has had a few cameos, but it’s always been to finish an innings and hammer home momentum, rather than control an innings, ditto Michael Dunstan.
Teams have quickly learned the currency of breaking the opening partnership but, in failing on the weekend, the middle-order has reinforced that those two wickets might effectively be the keys that unlock a grand final berth for Lyndale next week.
OTHER RESULTS
Parkfield edged Keysborough by four wickets in the 43rd over to give itself a chance of making the top four.
Travis D’Souza got four wickets to help restrict Keysborough to 142 despite opener Yohan Arumadura scoring 61 off 64.
Narre Warren’s match against Heinz Southern Districts didn’t yield a result, despite the hosts having the clear upper hand.
Narre was within 18 runs of victory, with two set batters at the crease and 11 overs remaining, when rain brought a premature end to the match.
Lyndale’s defeat of Doveton saved Narre the frustration of missing out on a finals spot as a result of being unable to finish HSD off.
Meanwhile, Triyan De Silva turned it on earlier for the visitors, making 85, his highest score of the season to prime himself for finals.
In Turf 3, Lynbrook won a high scoring match against Silverton while Hampton Park put up its strongest score since Christmas, 157, against Springvale, but couldn’t back it up with the ball, Nuwan Mendis feasting on the bowling to make 85 and help his team chase the target in 18 overs.
