DDCA Turf 1 matches were headlined by a top of the table clash, and it was Springvale South who once again had the wood over Buckley Ridges.
The Bucks have lost only two games for the season and both have been against the Bloods, who prevailed by 17 runs despite a huge century from Roshane Silva (151).
Springy now has a 3-1 record against Buckley Ridges since the beginning of the 2024/25 season and will look to make that even better come finals.
But if the Bucks can post almost 400 runs when three of their top five leading run scorers fail with the bat, then you can only imagine the damage they could do when it all clicks.
Dasun Opanayaka (83) and Jordan Wyatt (53) led the way for Springvale South on day one, while Blade Baxter, Ryan Quirk, Cam Forsyth and Chathuranga De Silva all scored more than 40 – the team reaching 386 off 80 overs.
Approaching day two at Dandenong Park Oval, Cam Forsyth and his team were confident, but not complacent, sensing that it would be a run-fest.
Buckley Ridges opener Dale Tormey had a strike rate of close to 170 prior to the weekend’s match, but Springvale South’s bowlers managed to slow him down, especially Opanayaka who bowled three early maiden overs to him.
It was Opanayaka who got Tormey caught behind for a duck last time the sides met, and it was clear that he wasn’t planning on getting out the same way, leaving everything wide of off stump to be 1 off 22 deliveries early in his innings.
Opanayaka not only bowled three maidens to Tormey, but bowled 29 dots out of 34 total balls at him, only conceding eight runs (one four and four singles).
It took Tormey until the 13th over to play his first really aggressive shot, a six on leg side off Josh Dowling.
Opanayaka had 1/10 off seven overs after getting Ayush Patel (21), so Tormey needed someone to target but it didn’t go to plan as he popped the ball up to mid-off just one ball after clearing the rope and departed for 16 off 47.
Even though Opanayaka didn’t get his man, his 29 dot balls to the Buckley Ridges star did more than enough and the Bucks were 2/45.
Enter the in-form Ben Wright (47), Roshane Silva (151) and Jayson Hobbs (66) who made their presence known and all of a sudden, the trio had got their side to 3/307 before Hobbs was stumped by Jarryd Straker.
One of the moments of the game happened shortly after when Ishan Jayarathna attempted a quick single, which resulted in the untimely run out of Silva for 151 – a brilliant innings which included 20 fours and two sixes.
Straker soon added Jayarathna (12) who was caught in the deep … the Bucks were 6/334 and in a bit of trouble.
Triyan De Silva (27 not out) went down swinging, but wickets fell at the other end and the ladder-leaders ran out of time, finishing on 9/369 off 80 overs.
Springvale South held its nerve and the bowlers delivered, thanks to Straker (3/77 off 15 overs) and Dowling (3/83 off 15 overs) – Opanayaka also playing a key role early.
The Bloods have given themselves a chance to pinch top spot, provided they defeat Beaconsfield and Buckley Ridges loses to Hallam Kalora Park this weekend.
In other games, Berwick had an outright victory against Parkmore after bowling the Pirates out for 129 in the first innings.
The Bears posted 4/205 before declaring after strong performances from Jake Hancock (82 not out) and Chathura Imbulagoda (75).
James Trodd ripped through the Pirates again to take 4/20 off nine overs, building on his three-wicket first innings to bowl Parkmore out for 81.
Berwick needed just six runs to win, and Lachlan Brown got the job done in eight balls.
Hallam Kalora Park was under threat of losing outright against Beaconsfield after slumping to 4/32 at the end of day one in pursuit of 168.
But Jagveer Hayer (15 off 102 balls) and Leigh Booth (48 off 141 balls) came out in a bid to save the team from a potential outright loss – they did that, but they still went down by 33 runs.
The Hawks were bowled out for 135 and thanks to the 64.1 overs they batted, the game was at a stalemate, so both teams shook hands and shifted their focus to the final round this weekend.
Jake Cutting continued his brilliance from last week to finish with impressive figures of 6/38 off 25 overs (including 13 maidens).
