By Jonty Ralphsmith
You can never count a strong club out.
That’s what Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 2 club Cranbourne has proven at the start of 2022-23.
Externally, expectations were tempered with so many unknowns following off-season departures and early-season injuries.
But the Eagles have strung together three consecutive weeks of strong cricket to prove they’re capable of once again giving the top four a shake.
On a two-paced wicket at Casey Fields, Cranbourne recovered from 6/89 to reach an imposing 274 at stumps against Parkfield.
A confident partnership between Harsaroup Singh and Jakeb Thomas either side of tea shifted the momentum.
Both reached the break within a stroke of the half-century, with Singh’s sharp running between the wickets complementing his and Thomas’ stroke-making.
A former Vic Premier player with Dandenong, Thomas arrived at Cranbourne last season to add to the club’s bowling stocks but the lower-middle order player has yet to be afforded an opportunity with the blade.
Last season, the stability of the top five meant he was either coming in with little time to get set or wasn’t required at all, but he seized on the rare opportunity on Saturday.
He picked up the line of Parkfield’s bowlers early, punishing a fatiguing attack through the leg-side on a warm and blustery afternoon.
Thomas’ and Singh’s dismissals came within seven balls of each other with 33 overs still to be bowled as it looked like Parkfield had finally wrenched back momentum.
But they were unable to capitalise on the flurry, Tim Fathers and Marty Kelly resetting and each absorbing more than 60 deliveries, with that pair and coach Clint Ayres at 11 all passing 20 to guide Cranbourne to 274.
That batting display for Cranbourne followed a score of 8/309 against Parkmore last week in a game that was ultimately abandoned, and a tight win on a tough deck against Narre Warren.
Narre Warren’s clash with Lyndale, meanwhile, sits in the balance.
Narre scrapped its way up to 163 as a series of starts couldn’t be capitalised on, with Lyndale losing three early wickets before some hitting from Satnam Singh got his team to 3/49 at stumps.
