By Jonty Ralphsmith and Marcus Uhe
A GRADE
Cranbourne Meadows is just six points off the pace of the top two after a 98-run win over Merinda Park.
Tanvir Singh helped himself to 88 while a late flurry to Amarpreet Singh got the hosts to 244, before Gurpreet Sandhu continued his strong season with four wickets.
The race for fourth spot is also red hot, with Kooweerup defeating Pakenham on the weekend, a result which sees the pair draw level on points with each other.
After an even bowling performance, superstar performer Chris O’Hara was typically calm with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 42 to steer his team to a two-wicket victory.
Nathan Kleinig’s excellent season with the bat continued, the Devon Meadows batter passing 50 for the third time to help the Panthers ease passed Clyde by eight wickets.
Tooradin, meanwhile, was a class above Clyde with Cooper Shipp’s 74 and an early flurry of boundaries to Luke Adams setting the Seagulls up, before Bailey Lownds cleaned up with the ball, taking five wickets in the 107-run win.
B GRADE
Pakenham clung on for an important 11-run win over Tooradin as the tussle for top four spots intensifies.
Skipper Wayne Mannix himself justified the decision to bowl first for Tooradin, taking four wickets, but a series of cameos for the hosts ensured that the Gulls never wrenched the game away from them.
Chasing 162 for victory, Tooradin was on the back foot after the loss of a controversial early wicket, but Cody Mannix (54) and David Freeman (35) regrouped, but were ultimately dismissed at untimely junctures.
It allowed the Pakenham attack, led by five wickets to youngster Mitch Varty, to halt Tooradin, the tail not showing enough resistance to get over the line.
Elsewhere, Emerald kept in touch with the top four by beating Upper Beaconsfield by eight wickets; Melbourne Sixers netted an important win over Carlisle Park; and Wayne Duke led Officer to victory in a high-scoring clash with Clyde.
C GRADE
A trio of usually top-flight cricketers brought spark to a match between two sides almost certainly out of the finals equation on Saturday.
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll included James Markland, Darcy Taylor and Will Taylor for the clash, with all contributing significantly to the result against Cardinia.
Markland opened the batting and scored 66 to set the game up, with Darcy Taylor pouncing on that platform and making 70 which allowed the Marygoons to put 7/234 on the board.
Will Taylor was the pick of the attack, miserly in conceding just 11 runs from eight overs while also picking up three wickets.
Devon Meadows had six wicket win over Pakenham Upper Toomuc to close the gap between fourth and fifth spot, Merinda Park eased past Kooweerup and Matthew Lucas helped Officer sneak past Lang Lang.
D GRADE
Melbourne Sixers has been dragged back to within striking distance at the top of the D Grade table after being thrashed by Pakenham at Barton Reserve.
3/28 from John Hutchinson helped Pakenham defend 9/193, a procession of wickets falling after a promising 20-run opening stand for the Sixers.
Snapping at their heels is the second-placed Merinda Park, who defeated Clyde by 40 runs at Tony Way.
Chris Smith’s 93 was the backbone of Merinda Park’s 6/205, the Cobras then rolling Clyde for 165 in the 39th over.
Officer’s Shane White came up trumps in a bowl-off against Emerald’s Dale Street in the Bullants’ 73 run win at Worrell Oval.
White top scored with 51 as Officer posted 9/187 batting first, in spite of a brilliant 5/15 from Street.
White then took-over with the ball, claiming 6/20 in 5.4 overs, as the Bombers could only muster 114.
Elsewhere, Tooradin chased Pakenham Upper Toomuc’s target of 8/104 without the loss of a wicket.
E GRADE
Five wickets to Pakenham’s Arshdeep Singh was instrumental in the Lions’ eight-wicket win over the lowly Officer Gold.
Singh’s 5/18 destroyed the Bullants’ lower order on their way to 122, with Pakenham easily reigning in the target in 29 overs for the loss of just two wickets.
Cardinia secured an important victory over Devon Meadows, home by five wickets to secure third place on the table.
Kerala Strikers chased Officer Green’s total of 8/105 for the loss of only three wickets, Felson Joseph steering the chase with an unbeaten 62.
Merinda Park’s dismal season continued, thrashed by seven wickets by Kooweerup.
Nar Nar Goon/Maryknoll, meanwhile, could only muster 80 against Pakenham Upper Toomuc, the Yabbies reaching the target six wickets down.
