Silverton registered a big win in DDCA Turf 2 as the side knocked off HSD in a one-wicket thriller and edged closer to the top four as a result.
The Cobras batted first and it was slow going across the initial overs, also losing Brent Patterson (3) early – the scoreboard reading 1/12 after 10.
But Ethan French and Jude Owen began to build a strong partnership and get the scoreboard ticking over with regular boundaries.
The pair’s 86-run partnership came to an end when French (31) hit a return catch to bowler Kuldeep Singh Sidhu.
Regular wickets fell from that point onwards, but Owen didn’t let it worry him as he continued to score freely, passing the 50 mark with some serious momentum.
Despite seeing four more batting partners dismissed, Owen managed to stay composed on his way to a brilliant century, dismissed for 101 after single-handedly giving his team a shot at victory with more than half of his team’s total of 184.
Ryan Patterson’s opening spell with the new ball troubled the Silverton batters and he picked up three of the top four cheaply (two of them bowled), with only skipper Robert North keeping him at bay.
Things were looking really positive for the Cobras and their winning chances, but North hung in there and was determined to inspire his team, leading from the front.
The score was 3-28 and it seemed as though Owen’s remarkable ton might be enough to win it for his team.
That is before North and Varinder Virk came together to put on 80 and push the total past 100.
Virk (42) was dismissed, but North continued to guide the side home – they were not going to lose as long as he was out there in the middle, with adequate time to make the runs.
However, with five runs needed for victory, the Bakers lost their skipper on 68, and their ninth wicket followed straight after as Sakuntha Liyanage got Harkanwal Singh for a duck – 9/181.
Four runs to win for Silverton and one wicket for HSD.
Anhad Gill (10 not out) stood up when his team needed him the most to score the winning runs and lead Silverton to a thrilling win, with number 11 Rajeev Dhankar surviving three balls to be not out.
After starting the season undefeated at 6-0, Parkfield has now lost back-to-back games, the most recent coming at the hands of Coomoora.
The Roos are up to third on the ladder and loom as a serious contender come season’s end, with regular contributors all throughout the top order.
Coomoora won the toss and elected to bat first, kicking off proceedings with skipper Nick Suppree and Lance Baptist at the crease.
An impressive 63-run opening stand followed as Suppree played the anchor role and allowed Baptist to be the aggressor, as he took down the opening bowlers.
Suppree (15) was eventually trapped in front of the stumps by Nigel Van der Wert, while Baptist pushed on to top score for the side with 50 – meeting the same fate, also dismissed LBW by Van der Wert.
Baptist was destructive during his half century, belting four sixes on the way to raising the bat for his team, with another half century to follow from Krishan Alang.
With a nice cameo from Jarrod Munday (33), Coomoora finished the allotted 45 overs with a score of 193 on the board – Van der Wert finished with 3/31 off his eight overs.
Sam Wetering (3/22) and Joel Robertson (2/15) started incredibly with the ball for the Roos.
Wetering took two wickets in the opening over of the innings, removing both openers Ryan Williamson and Dishan Malalasekera for ducks.
Roberston sent back Sam Beadsworth for a duck in the following over and Parkfield was 3/4 off two overs, with three of its best batters back in the sheds for nought.
Parkfield’s number 10 and 11 batters actually top scored and tried to inspire an unlikely comeback win, but it was not to be.
Roshane Cooray (26 not out) and Nicholas Jeffery (29) can hold their heads up high as their side registered its second consecutive loss.
In the final game, North Dandenong got a good win against Lyndale, a game the side needed to win if they are serious about making a charge for finals.
The Maroons bowled well from the outset thanks to Zarak Aseel who bowled both opening batters and put some serious pressure back on the home team.
Only Pranav Kumar (37 not out) and Girish Chopra (27) looked comfortable as Aseel took 5/22 to keep Lyndale to just 166.
North Dandenong only really needed one player to go big and that was Imran Laghmani as he belted 74 not out to lead the Maroons to victory by five wickets with almost eight overs remaining.
Turf 2 Ladder: Parkfield 41, Narre Warren 36, Coomoora 33, HSD 32, Silverton 27, North Dandenong 21, Cranbourne, Lyndale 15.
Fixture (Round 10): Cranbourne (7) v HSD (4) at Casey Fields No.2, Coomoora (3) v Lyndale (8) at Coomoora Reserve, Silverton (5) v Narre Warren (2) at Springvale Reserve, North Dandenong (6) v Parkfield (1) at Lois Twohig Reserve.
