Keysborough pulled off a sterling one-wicket victory to headline Dandenong District Cricket Association Turf 3 action on Saturday.
Chasing 244 for victory at Park Oval, the Knights lost a wicket in the first over, before Dante Happawana completely flipped the momentum.
Taking responsibility following the fall of his opening partner, Happawana transferred pressure back onto the Buckley Ridges bowling attack, scoring two boundaries in his first three balls and accelerating the run rate to beyond eight; seven overs into the innings.
After forcing a bowling change, he smashed first change bowler Shahwali Mosavi for consecutive maximums in his first over to put Keysborough well and truly ahead in the run chase.
Happawana went on to score 93 off just 57 delivers with Jonathan Mohamed his enabler, scoring 38 runs at the other end.
Happawana’s downfall, though, brought Buckley Ridges back into the contest, with the hosts taking 6/56 to reduce Keysborough to 7/196.
That soon became 9/228, leaving the last pair, Mehakdeep Singh and James Wright, with 16 runs to chase.
Singh had an average of just over four this season entering the match, while Wright had two hits for the year, registering zero not out and three.
But the pair survived together for more than four overs against the opening bowlers returning for another spell, with Wright bringing up the winning runs with a blistering six.
At Berwick Springs, the Titans comfortably chased down the Saints’ 138 thanks to half centuries by Lachie Marie and Shalika Karunanayake, but they fell three wickets short of an outright victory.
Eight different bowlers were given a bowl through the 44-over innings but St Mary’s was able to hold firm and stave off the outright result.
An unbeaten 88 to Joseph Connell lifted Narre North to victory over Fountain Gate, chasing 137, despite a herculean 6/59 to Asadullah Jabbar Khil who bowled 22 of the 60 overs.
Springvale South’s Mohammed Madasir Soliman Khalil filled his boots with six wickets for the Bloods, who bowled Lynbrook out for 177 to record a 178-run win.
Ladder: Springvale South 27, Buckley Ridges 21, Keysborough 21, Berwick Springs 15, Lynbrook 15, Narre North 9, St Mary’s 9, Fountain Gate 3.
Fixture R6: Springvale South v Berwick Springs, St Mary’s v Lynbrook, Keysborough v Narre North, Fountain Gate v Buckley Ridges.
