Coomoora and HSD were the only two teams to score more than 200 runs in round 3 of the Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) Turf 2 competition.
Both sides are sitting inside second and third respectively after starting the season 2-1, while Parkfield is the only side which remains undefeated.
But it was Cranbourne’s thrilling victory over Silverton which stole the spotlight despite the low scores at Casey Fields.
The Bakers won the toss and elected to bat, and apart from Anmol Zakhmi (33) and Kalapu Gamage (33), nobody managed to make double figures and they were bowled out for just 119 – Raja Ahmed taking 4/22 for the Eagles.
Cranbourne’s run chase didn’t go much better as the side lost 5/16 in the middle period as the top and middle order failed to hang around – at 7/77, things looked ominous and the overs quickly began to count down.
Enter Ahmed who decided to put Cranbourne on his back, belting 41 at number eight … but after he was dismissed, the Eagles soon fell to 9/109, still needing 11 to win.
Tim Fathers (six not out) and Alex Hollingsworth (seven not out) hit the winning runs on the second-last ball of the day, guiding the Eagles to a one-wicket victory, their first of the season.
A consistent team performance saw the Cobras easily account for Narre Warren, posting 262 in the first innings as the top order delivered.
Ethan French (53), Jude Owen (69) and Liam O’Connor (65 not out) all raised the bat and helped HSD post a very strong first innings total, which they easily defended to bowl the Magpies out for 129.
All six of the Cobras bowlers took at least one wicket, with Sakuntha Liyanage leading the charge with great figures of 3/19 off nine overs – Ted Kahandawala top-scored for Narre Warren with 31 opening.
Coomoora made light work of North Dandenong scoring 241 in the first innings before bowling them out for 151.
Coomoora had four major contributors in Nick Suppree (59), Joel Robertson (54 not out), Jarrod Munday (44) and Krishan Alang (40) – Zarak Aseel, Muhammad Dawa Khan and Syed Akbar Shah all took two wickets, while Shah also delivered with the bat, scoring 42 in the run chase.
Syed Masood Mehmood (54) was the only other to score big, but Alang (3/38), Sam Wetering (2/33) and Malan Madusanka (2/10) were too good with the ball.
Munday produced a brilliant all-round game, scoring 44 and dominating with the gloves to finish with two catches, two stumpings and a run out.
Parkfield defended its first innings score of 164 to bowl out Lyndale for 141 and win its third consecutive match this season.
Riley Payne (25), Travis D’Souza and Ryan Williamson (both 23) all got starts, while Kanishka Ranthilakage was the pick of the bowlers with 3/34.
Rajika Fernando (33) and Himesh Galhenage Don (36) gave their best in the chase, but the team fell short.
