A brilliant captain’s innings from Janaka Liyanabadalge (50 not out) has piloted Noble Park (7/177) to its fourth win of the season in the Victoria Sub-District Cricket Association (VSDCA).
Noble has made a promising start to its VSDCA campaign, with a steadying partnership between Liyanabadalge and Pawan Dias (36) guiding the home side to a three-wicket win over Mt Waverley (174) – who failed to bat its overs out on day one.
Noble resumed at 1/13, which soon became 2/18 after number-three Mahesh Kumara (0) was caught for a 24-ball duck.
Opener Archie Stefan (46) and class-act Sahan Perera (27) then guided Noble through troubled waters, putting on 55 for the third wicket.
But the key wicket of Perera sparked Mt Waverley into action, with the quick wickets of Stefan and Jamie Selvaraj (0) seeing the home side in trouble at 5/94…still requiring 81 runs for victory.
Dias mixed some brilliant shot-making with caution, cracking six fours in his 57-ball vigil at the crease.
But it was Liyanabadalge that took the game away from the visitors, hitting five fours and a towering six to get the job done inside 60 overs.
His unbeaten knock steered his team to victory; Noble now sitting in third place on the ladder.
A trip to seventh-placed Werribee waits this weekend.
Meanwhile, Endeavour Hills (130) has crashed to a heavy defeat proving no match for Melton (282) at Sydney Pargeter Reserve.
The Falcons resumed at 1/22 and lost consistent wickets throughout the day-two run chase, with a 34-run stand between Zac Perryman (23) and Assadollah Vala (49 not out) the only partnership of note.
The Falcons had no answer to Melton opener Brad Jones (6/34), who struck crucial blows early before tearing apart the lower order.
Of the last six bats for Endeavour Hills; four of the batters made ducks.
Things don’t get any easier for the Falcons, who host second-placed Spotswood this weekend.
VSDCA SUMMARY
Results R6: Balwyn 302 v Werribee (Match Abandoned), Endeavour Hills 130 v Melton 282, Noble Park 7/177 v Mt Waverley 174, Hoppers Crossing 345 v Bayswater 5/220, Spotswood 7/374 v Donvale 81 & 1/34, Taylors Lakes 84 & 5/110 v Croydon 7-d/191, Williamstown 9/253 v Altona 123, Yarraville 1/16 v Box Hill 200.
Ladder: Balwyn 33, Spotswood 30, Noble Park 27, Hoppers Crossing 24, Melton 24, Altona 24, Werribee 21, Bayswater 21, Croydon 15, Endeavour Hills 15, Taylors Lakes 12, Mt Waverley 12, Yarraville 9, Williamstown 9, Box Hill 6, Donvale 0.
Fixture R7 (Two Day): Endeavour Hills v Spotswood, Werribee v Noble Park, Bayswater v Melton, Box Hill v Williamstown, Donvale v Croydon, Mt Waverley v Hoppers Crossing, Altona v Balwyn, Yarraville v Taylors Lakes.
