By Jonty Ralphsmith
The return to the longer format in the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 3 has brought two top sides unstuck and served as a reminder for the quality Coomoora possess with bat and ball.
Where Fountain Gate and Lynbrook were put on the back foot early and struggled to gain any sustained momentum against Silverton and a Sachith Jayisingha-led Doveton North attack respectively, the Roos never gave Hampton Park a sniff to take first innings points.
Lance Baptist (69) played his best hand of the season, Dean Krelle scored an entertaining 43 off 17, while medium-pacer Michael Klonaridis was attacking with the ball, taking four wickets.
In the other game, Berwick Springs put itself in a commanding position against Doveton as it continues to knock on the door of the top four.
Summary R11 (Day One): Coomoora 3/163dec v Hampton Park 135 and 1/51, Lynbrook 82 v Doveton North 7/130, Berwick Springs 6/327dec v Doveton 4/52, Silverton 8/303dec v Fountain Gate 2/41.
Ladder: Fountain Gate 47, Lynbrook 45, Doveton 44, Coomoora 36, Berwick Springs 33, Silverton 24, Doveton 18, Hampton Park 9.
MARIE’S GOLDEN SUMMER CONTINUES
Berwick Springs’ opener Jackson Marie’s rich vein of form took in another chapter on Saturday, scoring a century to help his team set a massive 6/327 against Doveton.
Marie put a rare blip in the mid-week DDCA T20 competition behind him, his 121 at Berwick Springs Recreation Reserve lifting his Turf 3 runs tally to 642, which encompasses three centuries and three 50s.
Positively for the Titans there were other contributors, with Radomir Badzoka’s 60 his best hit of the season and Shalika Karunanayake finding form with 95.
After scoring at almost six runs per over, the hosts declared with 25 overs remaining in the day; the Doves reaching 4/52 at stumps in reply.
TOP SIDES STRUGGLE
The Turf 3 ladder looks set for a reshuffle following the weekend with Fountain Gate and Lynbrook both wasting the opportunity to take control of their destiny.
Sitting 261 runs in arrears with eight wickets in hand, the Gators look likely to be upset by Silverton, while Lynbrook was bowled out for 82 and has already surrendered the first innings points against Doveton North.
The latter result will likely see Doveton North take the number one spot after round 11, and it will be seeking an outright to clear itself of what looks set to become a logjam between second and fifth.
The Lakers and Gators will likely slip back to the pack – particularly given Coomoora and Berwick Springs are a strong chance of winning outright.
Should those results materialise, just five points would separate second and fifth on the ladder.
Silverton could also keep itself in contention if it takes 18 wickets on Saturday to win outright against Fountain Gate.
PREMI MAKES STATEMENT
Former Fountain Gate dasher Davandeep Premi made a statement century against his old side to lead Silverton to 8/303.
Coming in at four, with a strong foundation set, Premi continued his strong form since making the midseason switch, with the century lifting his runs tally to 280 at an average of 40 for the new club.
“It was pretty special for him to do it against his own mob,” skipper Rob North said.
“They gave it to him on the field but he took it to the spinners and went from 50 to 100 very quickly.
“He picked his balls to go after very well.”
BAKERS SPREAD THE RUNS
In the first nine rounds, Silverton’s batting line-up was Rob North or bust.
The skipper was in the top three runscorers in the league, while the rest of the batting order had combined for just one score in excess of 50 for the season.
In last week’s no result against Hampton Park, North’s century was outdone by opener Matthew Wall, who made a tone-setting 123.
Having been sent in to bat first this round, Premi, Kalapu Gamage (50), Rohit Sandhu (42) and Varinder Virk (27) all spent important time in the middle to prove the batting order is multi-pronged.
The performance of Gamage, promoted to opener where he bats for Sunday league team Melbourne Sixers, was particularly pleasing.
Coming to the Bakers as an all-rounder, he has been impressive with the ball, but hadn’t fired a shot with the bat for the Bakers until Sunday, despite being in strong form for Melbourne Sixers.
