By Marcus Uhe
Narre South’s outright win over St Mary’s in the Dandenong District Cricket Association’s Turf 1 competition has vaulted the Lions into third place on a congested, tight table with just three rounds remaining before finals.
St Mary’s squeezed another 72 runs from its final five wickets, thanks in large part to a 31-run stand for the final wicket between Harrison Kidd and Mohiburhman Sherzai, forcing the Lions to bat again with a target of 52.
It was a goal the Lions reached with a minimum of fuss, requiring just 11 overs and for the loss of two wickets.
Having destroyed the home side’s batting lineup on day one, the second day felt a ‘fait accompli’ for Narre South who had one hand on the 10 points for an outright victory.
With three slips and two gullies, Kyle Hardy’s side was out for the kill with aggressive fields and attacking lines and length.
The Saints, with likely relegation staring them in the face, were in survival mode, hardly looking to score but merely attempting to string the innings out for as long as they could.
No runs were scored until the fourth over of the morning, with Callan Tout and Jawed Hussaini keeping the pressure on.
Tout made the early breakthrough with the wicket of Susantha Pradeep for 14, reducing the equation to four wickets required for an innings win, and 20 runs needed for St Mary’s to make the visitors bat again.
A sharp catch in the slips was waved-off after Hussaini overstepped, giving Navoda Haettiarachchi a much-needed life, while another chance went down in the gully shortly after.
By the time Jeevan Mendis rolled his arm over as the first change in the attack, the quicks had conceded just four runs in the opening 12 overs of the day, and were unlucky not to have more wickets to their name.
Haettiarachchi and Deeshan Umagiliyage’s 28-run stand for the seventh wicket ensured that the Lions would have to bat again, as they made it through the opening hour of the day.
The Saints’ tail played more aggressive, with scoring shots to Mendis’ bowling, but Mendis would have the last laugh with three tail-end wickets to finish the innings, assisted by sharp catching from Hardy in the slips and Hussaini on the mid-wicket boundary.
Mendis finished with 4/46 while Tout’s excellent year with the ball continued, rewarded with his first five-wicket haul of the season.
Sherzai and Kidd’s persistence ensured the Lions would require some application, but the result was never in doubt, Vineth Jayasuriya top-scoring for the second time in as many innings with 33.
The 10 points for the outright result saw Narre South leapfrog Buckley Ridges and Hallam Kalora Park, two sides now tied for points in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Just four points separate the Lions, in third from North Dandenong in sixth.
Berwick is secure in second place for another week, having easily accounted for Beaconsfield’s total of 188 in just 53 overs.
Jarryd Wills was the star for the Bears, hitting an unbeaten 110 off 145 deliveries, 78 runs coming from boundaries, courtesy of 15 fours and three sixes.
Ashan Madhushanka was the pick of the Beaconsfield bowlers with 2/29.
At Springvale South, it was a case of another challenger stepping up to facing the Bloods, and another challenger vanquished.
The defending champions’ undefeated streak continued in a one-day contest, chasing North Dandenong’s target of 160 in the 43rd over.
Wickets in clumps hurt North Dandenong, losing 2/1, 2/3, 2/0 and 2/7 at different instances throughout the innings.
Only Jawid Khan and Tahsinullah Sultani had any success against the Springvale South bowling attack, hitting 45 and 43 respectively, as the Maroons’ innings was brought to a close in the 37th over.
Khan fell victim to Jarryd Straker’s introduction to the attack, two of the leading contenders for the Wookey Medal to be awarded next month, having raced to a near half-century.
A 50-run stand between Sultani and Syed Mehmood gave the Maroons bowlers something to bowl at, having begun the partnership with their side in trouble at 4/61.
Straker finished with sublime figures of 3/18 from his 11 overs, with four maidens, maintaining his status as the competition’s leading wicket taker.
Springvale South was patient in their approach to the chase, content to use the time available for some valuable centre-wicket time.
Ryan Quirk hit his first half-century of the season, the anchor of the chase with 56 off 124.
Jordan Wyatt and Blade Baxter were the other main contributors with the bat, as the home side completed the chase six wickets down.
That’s now three consecutive losses for North Dandenong since the return to play, seeing them slide to sixth place after an excellent patch of form prior to Christmas.
