By Marcus Uhe
A fightback from the previously discounted bottom half of the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 2 division has the competition in flux midway through round 11.
Cranbourne and Coomoora are vulnerable, and HSD could go a long way to sealing the minor premiership if it takes care of business next week against Narre Warren – with the potential for further pain.
The Cobras can bank six points with just 44 more runs, and will likely explore the chance of another four with an outright victory.
Marking their first game at Reedy Reserve for the summer following resurfacing and maintenance works on the playing surface, HSD’s bowling attack found their groove after the tea break to run through Narre Warren’s batting lineup with little resistance.
The Magpies added 47 for the first wicket, making the most of the unused playing surface and spending valuable time at the crease.
Englishman Harry Funnell made the initial breakthrough shortly before Tea, removing opener Akshjit Sammi, before spinner Brett Hookey grabbed two in consecutive overs, including the huge scalp of run machine Amila Ratnaike for a duck.
Following the interval, the path between the changerooms and the centre wicket became well-trodden for the Narre Warren batters, succumbing in just the 54th over for 114.
After a promising opening partnership, the combinations of four ducks and four single-figure scores resulted in the 10 wickets falling for just 67 runs in one of the worst batting collapses seen this summer.
Coming off a similarly poor performance against Parkfield in an outright loss last week, losing 20 wickets for 222 runs across the span of two innings, there appears some soul-searching required at the nest.
Brett Hookey, the twin brother of captain-coach, Craig, grabbed his first five-wicket haul at senior level for HSD, finishing with 5/50.
Having only forced his way into the First XI in the final contest before the Christmas break, he is making a strong case to now hold his place in the side with finals on the horizon.
Fellow spinner Sukantha Liyanage took 3/12, with strike bowlers Ryan Patterson and Triyan De Silva both finishing wicketless.
HSD faired far better with the bat, cruising to 1/71 by the close of play.
With just 44 runs required and a dynamic batting line-up capable of amassing quick runs, the temptation for Craig Hookey’s side will be to press for the extra four points courtesy of an outright victory.
Given the Magpies’ current batting issues, there will be little doubt in his bowling attack to take another 10 wickets in limited time next week, and seize top spot as a result.
They will leapfrog Cranbourne, the current ladder leaders, who find themselves in a tricky position against Lyndale.
A poor showing from the Eagles’ top order has them needing to defend 211 against the Two Blues at Barry Powell next week.
Only captain Harrison Carlyon passed 50 for the visitors, reaching 56 in his third half-century of the summer, with the remainder of his top five combining for just 27.
Harsaroup Singh, who rediscovered some form last week against Coomoora, managed just three, and Dean McDonell lasted just one ball.
Surprisingly, it was former Turf 1 premiership-winning wicketkeeper Ciaron Connolly that brought Carylon’s demise, breaching his defences in the first of his three wickets at 5/112.
The Eagles’ lower order made vital contributions, through Julius Sumerauer, Justin Dickinson and Ketan Bakshi, but the end came quickly once Dickinson was caught for 31.
From 5/171, the final five wickets yielded just 40 runs, the innings concluding in the 57th over in an excellent showing from Lyndale.
Sumerauer added a boundary-heavy 49 and Bakshi 29.
Rajika Fernando took 4/80 from his 23 overs for the Dales, while Connolly finished with 3/40.
Three of Lyndale’s four wins this summer have come when chasing, but it has only passed 211 once, against Narre Warren in a white-ball affair.
St Mary’s, meanwhile, can make life extremely uncomfortable for Coomoora.
A second-consecutive disappointing effort with the bat has the Roos defending just 159 against the Saints, a side in dire need of a victory to alleviate their relegation prospects.
Like he did against Cranbourne last round, it was Coomoora coach Nick Suppree who faired the best of the Roos batters, making 74 at the top of the order.
Coming off 76 the previous week, there will be a strong temptation for the premiership-winning coach to stay at the top of the card, rather than slide back to three or four, as he has for much of his Coomoora tenure.
Lance Baptist made 17 in just his fourth Turf 2 innings of the summer, having battled injuries and fitness for much of the campaign, with his innings eventuating to the second-highest score behind Suppree’s half-century.
The Tea interval came at a terrible time for Suppree, who shelled a catch to midwicket just three balls after the break, before the Saints, piloted by finger-spinner Rumesh Ranasinghe, performed a brilliant fightback to have the Roos dismissed in 69 overs.
From 2/110 at Tea, Coomoora showed its vulnerabilities with the bat once again, losing 8/49 on a dry wicket.
Last season’s Turf 3 premiers are yet to see out a full day of 80 overs with the bat in a two-day contest this summer, passing 200 just once with an average first-innings score of 180.
Seam bowler Harrison Kidd made the initial breakthrough with Suppree’s wicket, before Ranasinghe entered the action by bowling Joel Robertson around his legs on seven.
Kidd then had captain Liam Hard caught in the gully for just two, with Ranasinghe then claiming the next three in a mesmerising spell.
He dropped his pace and bowled with flight to deceive the batters time and time again, while even managing an excellent low catch off his own bowling to end Jackson Noske’s stay at the crease.
Beyond the top three, only Sam Wetering and number 11 Malan Madusanka reached double-figures, as the Roos frittered away a position of power in what has suddenly become an important contest.
Wetering struck in the first over of the Saints’ innings to send Ranasinghe back to the pavilion for one, in a fiery spell to close the day with a series of appeals and pleas to the bowler for catches and LBWs.
St Mary’s reached 1/13 at stumps as Duveen Arachchige and Chameera Fernando both survived until the close of play, needing a further 147 for victory next week.
Six St Mary’s points will tie them for seventh place on the table with Narre Warren on 18 points, while Coomoora could have just a two-point cushion on Parkfield, if the Bandits get the better of Parkmore.
