By Jonty Ralphsmith
All four finals-bound sides in Turf 3 of the Dandenong District Cricket Association finished the home and away season with big victories on Saturday.
It sets up a clash between Keysborough and Berwick Springs in one semi final and Silverton and Fountain Gate in the other.
Six wickets to McDonald Medallist James Wright and a Shanaka Perumpuli run-a-ball 62 were the highlights in Keysborough’s 114-run win over Doveton.
The Titans, meanwhile, reached a strong total of 186, despite star batter Jackson Marie missing out in a confidence booster for the rest of the batting order.
Lachie Marie and Radomir Badzoka were the standout batters, before Harman Sahota led the bowling battery.
Fountain Gate annihilated a hapless Lynbrook, bowled out for 29, whose loss caused it to fall short of back to back finals campaigns.
Usually a patient batter, Karan Singh played with great flair to accelerate the Gators to 7/212 before Jasdeep Singh, Nadim Nazif and Surya Pratap took the 10 wickets inside 15 overs.
Silverton was clinical in chasing down 137 in the other fixture, with Rob North’s unbeaten 62 leading the way.
The Knights clash with Berwick Springs is a clash of contrasting storylines.
Keysborough was last year relegated from Turf 2, but has been a dominant force this season, winning 10 matches, built off the back of recruit Chanaka Kahandawala’s phenomenal consistency with the blade.
He and Perumpuli have given much needed batting assistance to the experienced Christo Otto, who has been the standout batter of the side for several years.
With the ball, Wright has taken 40 wickets and arguably been the standout bowler of the competition.
The Titans have not had the same calibre of standout player in a 2024-25 season which has at times stuttered after surprising many by reaching the grand final last year.
Jackson Marie is the clear standout player and his wicket will be massive in the context of the game – pressure he has become accustomed to handling – but the best of Berwick Springs in the past two seasons has demonstrated an evenness in contribution around him.
The Titans core is the same as the one which played the two matches in last year’s finals series, with Kenny Smart proving a valuable addition this year with 25 wickets.
Despite finishing two wins behind the rest of this year’s finalists, the Titans have the talent to seriously contend.
The other game pits Fountain Gate, which lost its semi-final to eventual premiers Coomoora last season, against Silverton, which has successfully rebounded from a 2023-24 plagued by a lack of selection continuity.
Both sides finished with nine wins, with Fountain Gate appearing to be a much more cohesive unit under the leadership of Ray Pal, with Pratap a revelation with 40 wickets and youngster Nazif taking another step forward with his cricket.
The batting hasn’t had the consistency across the board of the bowling during the season, but Singh’s temperament lends itself well to finals cricket.
For Silverton, North and competition leading wicket taker Harkanwal Singh are the players who will be looked to in the big moments.
Tips: Keysborough v BERWICK SPRINGS, Silverton V FOUNTAIN GATE
Round 14 results: Fountain Gate 7/212 v Lynbrook 29, Keysborough 204 v Doveton 9/90, Silverton 2/138 v Hampton Park 137, Narre North 132 v Berwick Springs 8/186
Turf 3 ladder (Final Standings): Keysborough 70, Silverton 68, Fountain Gate 64, Berwick Springs 52, Lynbrook 46, Hampton Park 40, Narre North 18, Doveton 6
