By Jonty Ralphsmith
The sequel was better than the original.
It was 357 days prior when Triyan De Silva led Heinz Southern Districts to an upset win over Cranbourne in the corresponding semi-final fixture between the teams last season in Turf 2 of the Dandenong District Cricket Association.
That was Cranbourne’s second consecutive semi final exit after the return of the Sweeney brothers, earning the Eagles the moniker as the finals chokers.
A four-run final over win over HSD on Saturday, which was 7/87, did as much to affirm, rather than dispel the narrative.
Debutant Ketan Bakshi was handed the ball for the final set of six rather than the experienced Tim Fathers or Marty Kelly.
A deceptive and loopy slow-medium bowler who continued to hit his mark, he bowled two dots to start an over where HSD needed only five to reach the grand final.
That’s when panic set in, number nine Jett Kearney finding a gap at point, sprinting the first and trying to snatch a second on a slight mis-field.
The old adage rang true as he was run out clearly short of his ground.
HSD’s strong supporter base at KM Reedy Reserve, which mutually engaged in spirited banter with travelling Cranbourne supporters all day was stunned still.
Cranbourne’s XII, which has seen much change in the last month united, hugged, laughed, banged walls and screamed the team song.
The match was as much theatrically dramatic as it was a high-quality game of finals cricket.
The Cobras will reflect on certain moments feeling they lost their nerve yet knowing they were only in the game through several strokes of luck.
Cranbourne will know it should’ve been wrapped up much earlier as much as they’ll feel it a come-from-behind victory.
Just before Liam Jansen’s vital cameo came to an end as he ran past a Pete Sweeney spinner, HSD had two strong batters at the crease needing 10 off 18 with two wickets in hand.
Earlier, it was 24 off 31 with two set batters and three wickets in the shed.
Young teams have lapses.
Unfortunately for HSD, theirs came right when an experienced lineup provided a rare opening.
All season the question mark hanging over Beaconsfield has been whether the middle-order has enough spine to stand up to the pressure of finals.
In reaching 231 against Lyndale at Perc Allison Reserve on Saturday, with just 33 runs coming from the openers, the Tigers sent a message.
Not only that there’s reason to believe that a blemish at the top would prohibit a premiership, but also that they’ve got the batting talent to sustain competitiveness going forward.
Riley Clark was the star of the innings with 75, but it was short of a match-winner, particularly playing a club containing arguably the biggest hitter in the competition.
Clark’s boundaries flowed while Ashan Madushanka rotated the strike nicely as they formed an important 98-run partnership, of which Madushanka contributed 42.
That allowed more expansive players Jesse Busacca, who has batted higher in recent weeks, and Mitch Tielen to capitalise on the foundation and catapult the score well north of 200 against a bowling attack that had no answers.
Facing a team accustomed to their home deck, Lyndale found scoring much harder than the Tigers and lost wickets in trying to keep up with the required run rate.
Crucially the performance has those middle-order batters primed against an Eagles bowling attack that will surely pose more questions next week.
Meanwhile, Turf 3 season standouts Dandenong West and Coomoora proved their class on Saturday in out-muscling Fountain Gate and Springvale respectively.
Fountain Gate was sent in to bat first and was never able to insert itself into the contest thanks to a deep and cohesive bowling lineup.
Having seen off his first four overs, Nuwan Kulasekara claimed two wickets in his fifth over and it was only some gallant digging in from Raveen Kadirahettiarachchi and Mustaffa Waseem which got Fountain Gate to 104.
Dandy West reached the total three down with Nathan Power putting 48 on the board.
At Coomoora, the Roos bowlers put Springvale on the back foot by dismissing batting protagonists Nuwan Mendis and Pasindu Madushan for 20 and 0 respectively.
That had the visitors at 4/46 and the middle order was unable to rebound as Malan Madusanka and Michael Klonaridis sustained the pressure after the early strikes.
At 2/109, chasing 139, with Lance Baptist punishing Springvale’s attack, the Roos looked to be cruising, but his dismissal for 60 started a collapse.
Andy O’Meara’s men lost 5-17 before a 13-run partnership between Liam Hard and Nick Lloyd guided a nervy Coomoora to a three-wicket win.
