The embarrassment of riches in the playing stocks is going to make for some tricky discussions for Jayson Hobbs and Manjula Munasinghe to navigate in the back half of the Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 1 season.
Saturday’s win over Hallam Kalora Park in a top-of-the-table showdown proved that the Hawks are not quite on the same level as the reigning premiers at this point in the season, as the Bucks locked away top spot for the Christmas break.
They lost just two wickets on day two, completing the chase of 255 in 74 overs with three wickets in hand, thanks to a trio of half-centuries.
Nightwatchman Sanka Dinesh made an impressive 60, Ben Wright finished unbeaten on 91 and Roshane Silva on 70 in a methodical and well-executed chase, a hallmark of their cricketing profile that carried them to premiership success last summer.
The experienced heads kept the strike rate ticking over without the need to play aggressive or risky shots as they worked the nuances of their unique home ground to perfection with singles and twos, plus the occasional boundary to keep the bowlers on their toes.
The Bucks’ methodology of victory, however, saw prized recruit Dale Tormey not required in the run chase, slated as the next man to come to the wicket but proving to be surplus to needs.
Through a combination of unavailability and the team’s performance, the former Pakenham captain has batted just twice this summer, making 20 and five in those innings.
Tormey is not alone in being starved of opportunity and time in the middle – only five batters have made more than 100 runs this summer, with one, in Daniel Watson, unlikely to feature in selection discussions in the near future as he battles injury concerns.
Prior to Saturday, only three players – Watson, Wright and premiership-winning opener Josh Holden – had made half-centuries, with a fourth, in German international Matthew Montgomery, leaving the club in search of further opportunities earlier in the summer.
With Holden, who missed Saturday’s game through injury, premiership-winning wicketkeeper Troy Aust and all-rounder Michael Davies all waiting in the wings, the architects behind last summer’s triumphs will need their compasses and maps at the ready as they navigate some potentially awkward calls at the selection table.
While Davies will bolster the lower order with the bat, his bowling, along with that of Wes Nicholas, another ramping up in the reserves, means the attack is not settled either.
Following Saturday’s win, Hobbs conceded that the Bucks are unsure of what their best XI looks like, despite sitting a game clear at the top of the table.
“There’s a lot to play with and work with for me and Manjula (Munasinghe) and we’ll try to work out what’s best for us, and hopefully look forward to another big finals campaign,” he said.
“In my position, I’ve got to have communication with these players and try to get enough cricket into them to push for Turf 1 selection.
“We’ve got to try and work out what’s best for us and we’ll pick what’s best for us going forward and what we think is our best side to try and get us to where we did last year.
“How that plays out, I’m not too sure this year but I’m trying to get some overs into Wes (Nicholas) in the seconds and see how that plays out.
“‘Slick’ (Davies) as well, he’s started bowling again, we know they’re quality players that we’re fortunate to have at Buckley and we’ll see how it all plays out.
“There’s a lot of cricket to be played out, we are sitting top of the ladder but there’s so much cricket to be played out from here on and we’re looking forward to the challenge after Christmas.”
Hallam Kalora Park, by contrast, will have an uncomfortable three weeks off, with its season coming to a standstill after a four-game winning streak.
Last week’s batting performance encapsulated their season to date with the blade, as too much responsibility fell to Damith Perera and Mahela Udawatte.
Outside of their 143-run partnership, the Hawks lost 9/112.
The pair has 327 and 290 runs respectively for the summer but Udawatte has 155 more runs than the man in third place on the list, Leigh Booth, who’s passed 50 once this summer.
The Hawks host Narre South when cricket resumes for the first time since last summer’s heated semi final, with Buckley Ridges welcoming Beaconsfield to Park Oval.
