DDCA: Ridges hits straps as finals loom

BUCKLEY Ridges captain-coach Marc Calkin believes his side is hitting top form as the DDCA turf 1 finals approach.

The Ridges won the Churchill Maintenance & Fabrication Twenty20 grand final last Wednesday, beating Lyndale by 59 runs on Wednesday, then put 4-375 on Springvale South on Saturday, expanding from their first-day total of 1-169.

CLICK HERE for our picture gallery of the T20 grand final.

Calkin said he liked what he was seeing from his side as the season enters its most important weeks.

“We really knuckled down with the bat on Saturday. We are starting to peak at the right time of the season,” he said. “After making the runs last week we wanted to give the boys a good bat on Saturday.”

Ridges batsman Greg Todd was in exceptional touch, making 158 not out after starting the day on 75 not out. Calkin made 94.

Todd also top-scored in the Twenty20 grand final with 58. “Greg is a class bat,” Calkin said. “He is hitting the ball well and plays the ball nice and straight. He is patient as well; he would have faced 300 balls on Saturday.”

Calkin said the Ridges were also happy to come away with the Twenty20 title after falling short in the statewide competition earlier in the summer.

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