By Blair Burns
Hallam Kalora Park captain Jordan Hammond has his side fired up and ready to make amends for last year’s finals exit when they take on Buckley Ridges this weekend in the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 1 grand final at Arch Brown Reserve.
The Bucks have taken the points on the three occasions that the sides have met this season; however the Hawks are confident they can turn the tides and get a win when it matters most.
“We are feeling good, we had the game a couple of weeks ago and we got pretty close … we are very confident we can get the win,” he said.
“They had the home ground advantage and they play it well there (Dandenong Park Oval) so we are looking forward to playing them on a neutral ground.”
Advancing to the grand final due to rain wasn’t the way Hammond wanted to win on the weekend; however he praised his team’s batting effort to post 359 in the first innings.
“It was a bit unfortunate, you never really want to win in those circumstances but it makes you feel a bit better to post a big score like that,” he said.
“We had a strong season and it was good that we could put ourselves in a good position on the ladder finishing second.”
Much like Buckley Ridges, the main strength of Hallam Kalora Park is their even spread of contributors with the bat, but their bowling depth is a point of difference.
The Hawks have four players who have taken more than 20 wickets this season while the Bucks have only one.
Will Whyte (36 wickets), Lauchlan Gregson (29 wickets), Hammond (26 wickets) and Lee Brown (23 wickets) are, on paper, four of the top 11 bowlers in Turf 1.
While the statistics show that Ishan Jayarathna (35 wickets) has been a one-man army for Buckley Ridges, taking almost double the wickets of anyone else on the team.
“We’ve had a pretty good all-round team effort this year compared to previous seasons, it’s shown in the last couple of finals with our batting,” he said.
“And having different people put their hand up throughout the year with the ball in hand gives you great confidence going into a game like this.”
Last year, Hallam Kalora Park finished third and lost a thrilling elimination final against Narre South, a finals exit which has spurred the team on this season.
“It was obviously a close finish last year which was heartbreaking and makes us even more hungry for this one,” Hammond said.
Three years on from the 2020-21 premiership victory, around half of the side still remains with some handy inclusions like “standout professional” Mahela Udawatte.
“Lots of those players are still in the side or around the club but we’ve probably gained a few really good players since then,” he said.
“The (key player) for me this weekend is Mahela, last year in the final when we lost to Narre South, he probably played the best local cricket innings I’ve ever seen.
“Will Whyte is another player who loves the big stage and has had a great season.”
Speaking of the big stage, the Hawks skipper also has an impressive individual record against Buckley Ridges, which suggests he doesn’t mind it either.
In his last four matches against the Bucks dating back to midway through last season, Hammond has scored 169 runs at an average of 84.5 and has hit the Bucks’ bowlers over the fence more than any other bowling attack.
Hammond’s brilliance includes a match-winning knock of 43 not out in Round 11 last season, which was actually the last time Hallam Kalora Park defeated Buckley Ridges.
He has led from the front and also delivered with the ball in recent encounters with combined bowling figures of 8-215 off 77.5 overs (27 maidens) – including 4-37 in Round 1 this season.
The Hawks won’t be changing too much on Saturday with an inward focus on their own plans and the things they can control, with a hope that the scoreboard takes care of itself.
“Our coach Coxy (Matthew Cox) has spoken in the past couple of months about putting our focus into what we are doing and worrying about us,” Hammond said.
“We will keep it pretty simple and keep the routine the same as most other weeks, we have plans for their batsmen and as bowlers, we just have to be consistent.”
