By Jonty Ralphsmith
Fountain Gate spinner Surya Pratap has announced himself as one of the best bowlers in the Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 3 competition.
The Gators recruit has 19 wickets for the season including back-to-back five-wicket hauls against two sides currently sitting in the top four.
His 7/24 off 17 overs in round 7 skittled Lynbrook for just 154, setting up a comfortable win for a team looking for back-to-back finals apperances.
Being a left arm orthodox spinner gives Pradap a point-of-difference, given the scarcity of tweakers spinning the ball away from the right hander.
“He’s a classy left armer who reads the game really well, is super consistent, changes his flight and pace and his variety is excellent,” Gators president Justin Smith said.
“He’s been a great pickup for us from Canterbury.
“His consistency is so reliable and (skipper) Karan (Singh) can set a plan and he can bowl to it at any time.
“He’s a really good individual and has fit into our club well.
“He’s a great guy to be around and loves a wicket.”
Teenaged quick Nadim Nazif, a Dowling Shield and Casey South Melbourne underaged representative has continued his strong development and been another key cog for Fountain Gate this season.
Stand-in skipper Karan Singh has looked strong with the bat this season and finally broke through for a big score on Saturday, with his 91 anchoring the chase.
He is leading in the absence of captain-coach Ray Pal, who is currently sidelined with an arm injury.
Pal’s promotion to coach this season, though, has brought about a change in the way Fountain Gate is going about its cricket, filling Smith with confidence.
“The biggest thing Ray has brought in is more of a plan in the way we attack our innings so I think game awareness and his tactical nous has been the biggest change coming into this year,” Smith said.
“(Saturday’s result) was an important win which solidified ourselves as a genuine contender.
“With the amount of changes we had going into round 1 this year, we weren’t sure where we sat but it’s good to see the boys playing well.”
The Gators are currently third on the ladder with four wins from seven games.
