Star News journalist JONTY RALPHSMITH names his best XI from the DDCA Turf 3 competition to this point in the season.
1. Nuwan Mendis (Springvale): Regardless of what else has happened in the first part of the season for Springvale, they can just about bank on Nuwan Mendis giving them something up the top. From his five hits, Mendis has passed 20 on each occasion, and raised the bat thrice with a high-score of 90. Opens the bowling too for Springvale, claiming six wickets at an average of 20.
2. Rahoul Pankhania (Coomoora): A big reason why Coomoora has so often batted big in its games this season, Pankhania has had four hits, been dismissed just twice and passed 50 three times. Against Springvale, he guided a nervy run-chase and played the anchor role in victories over Berwick Springs and Fountain Gate. His wicket will be key if opposition teams want to stop Coomoora in the second half of the season.
3. Jay Walia (Lynbrook): The top-order batter got Lynbrook’s season off to a strong start against Hampton Park, scoring 75, and while he hasn’t hit those heights since then, he’s been miserly with ball in hand, taking six wickets at 11, locking batters down during the middle overs.
4. Dylan Diacono (Dandenong West): Dandy West had high hopes for Diacono entering the season and he has certainly delivered, no doubt assisted by the success his team is tasting. Batting up top for Dandy West, the ‘keeper’ anchored a tricky run-chase against Coomoora; backed that up with 31 the following week as Dandenong lost a few early wickets in a nervy low-scoring run-chase and guided Dandy West to victory over Lynbrook with a well-built 60. If there is one area Dandy West has struggled so far this season, it is having a sturdy opening partner for Diacono which has heightened the importance of his contributions.
5. Nuwan Kulasekera (Dandenong West): Kulasekera has done it with bat and ball, with the former Sri Lankan international contributing in every game he has played with economical bowling and reliable middle-order batting.
6. Hemal Ratnayake (Silverton): Ratnayake hit his straps when he was pushed down the order for Silverton, playing important hands in back-to-back wins over Coomoora and Hampton Park. His 62 against Coomoora came at good clip and allowed Silverton to up the tempo and set a difficult target which ultimately proved the difference in a tight run-chase, and against Hampton Park, he was the only Silverton batter that was able to get going, scoring 81 of 138 runs as his team won by a wicket.
7. Dean Krelle (Coomoora): Krelle’s consistency for Coomoora makes him a lock as he has scored between 25 and 62 in all but one of his innings – finishing the other unbeaten on seven. Not only does he score, but he goes at a good clip, his strike rate above 100 in all of his substantial knocks. Started the season on fire, punching 10 boundaries in an innings of 62 off 61 balls, during an important partnership with Nick Suppree against Dandy West and hasn’t looked back since. It’s not always big innings, but his firepower can itself change a game and give Coomoora some momentum. Can go down the ground and punish spinners with power off the back foot. Is the ideal player to come in with the team needing quick runs as the crisp striker puts away bad balls, with his 11 season sixes second only to Kulasekera and his 18 fours placing him third.
8. Hasindu Waduge (Fountain Gate): Fountain Gate hasn’t quite found wickets as easy to come by as some other teams so his 14 wickets have been worth gold. Leads the wickets tally for the competition, with a five-fa, a four-fa, a three-fa and a two-fa among his returns, with his best performance coming against second-placed Lynbrook. Got some wickets early in his spell in that game to stall them and then some later on to pull them back, with an unbeaten 61 with the bat seeing Waduge guide them within seven runs of victory. With no other Fountain Gate bowler claiming more than six wickets, there has been heightened importance on his performances; with some help upfront, he’ll look even better in the second half of the season.
9. Asadhullah Khil (Hampton Park): Three three-wicket hauls and 11 wickets for the season for Khil has seen him lead the Hampton Park bowling attack. Opens the bowling and has the ability to tie batters down but also has the ability to come back and do damage later in the innings.
10. Dylan Hayes (Silverton): Silverton’s opening bowler often finds a way to pick up scalps and generate opportunities, as underlined by his performance against Hampton Park. The undoubted highlight of his season, he picked up the opposition’s first four wickets in that game to leave them reeling at 4/17 and on the back foot for the rest of their innings in a lethal eight over spell of bowling. Has 11 wickets for the season – at least one in each game.
11. Jesse Walia (Lynbrook): His 13 wickets at an economy rate of 2.87 are a big reason Lynbrook is going as well as it is this season. Has three four-wicket hauls, and regardless of what has happened early in the bowling innings, has a knack of applying the brakes to the opposition’s batting and swinging the momentum, even if just through a build up of dots and perceived pressure.
