By Marcus Uhe
Cranbourne Meadows’ gripping three-run victory over Emerald in CCCA District has seen them leap-frog the Bombers and go a game clear of them on the ladder in fifth place.
While many made starts, none of the Cranbourne Meadows batters were able to fire.
Karanbir Tiwana top-scored with 33 and the remainder of the scorecard was littered with 20s and 30s as they were bowled out for 158 in the 31st over.
Emerald’s top order fared worse, with only two of the top seven reaching double figures.
Things were looking grim for the Bombers, languishing at 8-68, before Clinton Marsh and Sam Stapleton launched a late-innings fight-back.
The two put on 79 for the ninth wicket as they grew closer and closer to victory until Stapleton was bowled for 27 by Jujhar Singh, 12 runs short of the target.
It was left to Marsh and number 11 Harrison Closter to get the outstanding runs, but the mountain proved too big to climb, dismissed on the second-last ball of the day for 155.
Jujhar Singh’s 4-39 was instrumental in their defence for Cranbourne Meadows, as was Pargat Singh’s 2-19.
In the battle between second and third, Devon Meadows extended the gap between themselves and the chasing pack with a five-wicket victory over NNG/Maryknoll at Glover Rec Reserve.
Economical bowling from the Panthers meant the Marygoons could only register 128 in their 40 overs.
Brandon Interlandi made 37 opening the batting but it came at a crawl, taking 116 deliveries.
The wickets were shared amongst the Devon Meadows bowlers, as skipper Lucas Carroll and Arthur Churchill both grabbed two, and Lucas Ligt, Chris Cleef and Riley Worsteling took one each.
The Panthers weren’t mucking around in their chase of 128, reaching the total in the 21st over scoring at more than a run-a-ball as Ligt’s tremendous season with the willow continued.
He creamed eight fours as he rocketed to 45 off 30 balls at the top of the order, including five off one Wil Taylor over, before he was removed by Interlandi.
Taylor’s one expensive over put a dampener on his otherwise solid figures of 2-40 off five overs.
NNG/Maryknoll’s loss was Lang Lang’s gain, who moved into third place with their win over Pakenham Upper Toomuc thanks to a Rajind Dassanayake masterclass.
Dassanayake took 2-26 off seven overs and grabbed two catches in the field, as the Yabbies were held to 9-184 batting first at Caldermeade Oval.
James Stevenage responded from making a duck last week to fall just short of his third 50 of the season, making 49 from 82 deliveries.
Arriving in the middle in the second over after Shamil Samarasinghe was sent packing for a second-ball duck, Dassanayake’s 93 was the standout innings of the day.
He and Dale Cranston added 140 for the second wicket as they cruised to a seven-wicket win.
In the lopsided top v bottom battle at Upper Beaconsfield, Dean McPherson played a lone hand for Gembrook with the bat as they set Upper Beaconsfield 140.
McPherson’s 70 was his second half-century of the season to go with his hundred against Emerald earlier in the campaign, but none of his teammates could pass 19.
Maroons legend Scott Pitcher claimed his best bowling figures for the season, taking 2-26 with his leggies before they reached the total with eight overs remaining.
Gembrook’s bowlers, including Will Davis’ 2-35 from eight overs, made sure the Maroons didn’t have it their own way, but it wasn’t enough to disrupt the competition’s pace-setters, reaching the total five wickets down.
