By Jonty Ralphsmith
Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 3 premiership favourite Coomoora has delivered a stern warning shot to the competition with a mature batting display against Lynbrook.
Following a scrappy first-up loss against Berwick Springs, a Rahoul Pankhania century helped the Roos to 8/352 on day one after being sent in on a typically flat Coomoora Reserve wicket.
Number three Lance Baptist was in early after a disciplined opening spell and was quick to put the onus back on the visitors with a positive 51 off 70.
His signature pull through midwicket was a feature of his innings as he helped himself to anything short, his first five scoring shots all boundaries to help Coomoora reach 1/75 after 20 overs following a conservative start.
The run rate remained steady at about four for the rest of the day but Baptist’s dismissal, just as he looked like he was in for the long haul, briefly brought Lynbrook back into the game.
Opening bowler Asadullah Jabbar Khil nabbed three in quick succession bringing skipper Liam Hard to the crease, who steadied with Pankhania.
Their experience brought critical stability to ride out the momentum wave against last season’s runners-up.
To that point playing second fiddle, Pankhania was much more positive when Hard arrived, allowing the skipper to settle in as pacemen Khil and Jattinder Singh probed in vain.
Pankhania picked the gaps well, timing it sweetly off the front foot and hitting three of his four sixes over the leg-side as he trusted the pace of the pitch.
The opening batter, who was the cornerstone of so much of Coomoora’s batting success last season, brought up his century with a boundary, finishing with 127 off 191.
Hard’s excellent partnership batting saw Coomoora’s score tick over consistently, before he exploded after reaching 50, his last 31 runs coming off just 14 balls as he backed himself despite the consistent falling of wickets.
He was eventually dismissed for 87 in the 74th over, but in a statement of Coomoora’s batting depth, Jake Robertson and Malan Madusanka put on an unbeaten 49 run partnership off 37 balls to finish a huge first day for the hosts.
Khil, a stump-to-stump recruit from Hampton Park playing his first game for Lynbrook, was the pick of the bowlers.
He built pressure early which helped Singh find an early breakthrough and bowled several long, economical spells, his figures of 4/60 off 19 damaged by a brief Hard onslaught.
Following a tense, dramatic victory over Silverton last week, Saturday was a stark reminder for Lynbrook that the journey to premiership contention has many steps that need to be taken.
Meanwhile, Fountain Gate outclassed Doveton to win its first innings early on Saturday.
Mitch Daley and Kaine Bundy looked to attack the Gators bowlers but the middle order collapsed quickly, leaving Doveton all out for 67, Chalaka ‘Ted’ Sampath’s 5/0 leading the bowling effort.
Sampath’s 60 helped Fountain Gate to 9/179 with Doveton more resistant in its second dig, sitting at 4/116 as Fountain Gate chase the outright win.
